Tower Summer 2021
Publication for alumni, family, friends, and students of Montverde Academy.
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FEATURE ARTICLES<br />
Class of <strong>2021</strong> pgs. 6-20<br />
Francisco Lindor ’11 Pays<br />
It Forward pg. 24<br />
SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
HEAD OF SCHOOL<br />
Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring<br />
2020-21 BOARD OF TRUSTEES<br />
Mr. Tim J. Bach<br />
Mr. Sean Parks<br />
Mr. Jon Frere<br />
Mr. T. Scott Ohmstede<br />
Mrs. S. Renee Lundy ’79 Mrs. Lori Specht ’84<br />
Mr. Michael Mason ’84 Mrs. Sandra O. Stephens<br />
Dr. Sydney McPhee Dr. Walter L. Stephens,<br />
Mr. Gregory L. Nelson Trustee Emeritus, 1999-2020<br />
EX-OFFICIO<br />
Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring<br />
STAFF<br />
Ashley Kesselring<br />
Michele Kanikovsky<br />
Ginny Holm<br />
Kimberly Braden<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
Creative Director<br />
Creative Editor<br />
Photographer<br />
Contributors include faculty, staff, students, and<br />
parents of Montverde Academy.<br />
ADDRESS CHANGES AND<br />
CORRESPONDENCE<br />
Montverde Academy<br />
The <strong>Tower</strong> Magazine<br />
17235 Seventh Street<br />
Montverde, FL 34756<br />
PRINTER<br />
Cromer International Press<br />
Above: Lujia Chang, Jennifer Ghivizzani, Duoshan Zhang, Kendyl<br />
Cardwell, Weston Baptiste, Kai Eisenhardt, Caleb Sheyda, Sofia Bilski,<br />
Menna Freeman<br />
On the cover: Class of <strong>2021</strong><br />
The <strong>Tower</strong> Magazine is published exclusively for the alumni, parents, students, friends,<br />
faculty and staff of Montverde Academy. It is intended to bring the latest news and<br />
information about the Academy’s growth and ongoing events.<br />
Every attempt has been made to present the information and listings in The <strong>Tower</strong><br />
magazine as accurately as possible. We apologize if there are any discrepancies and<br />
would ask that you forward any amendments to our office. It is our policy to correct<br />
significant errors of fact in a timely fashion.<br />
FIND US ON SOCIAL<br />
Are you looking for photos, events, news and more? Montverde Academy provides the latest news and<br />
Eagle happenings on a variety of platforms. Follow us on:<br />
FACEBOOK<br />
INSTAGRAM<br />
TWITTER<br />
LINKED IN<br />
YOUTUBE<br />
WEBSITE<br />
Visit montverde.org<br />
2 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> | VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2<br />
It has been my distinct honor and privilege to serve as the Director<br />
of Communications for more than three years at Montverde<br />
Academy. I’m not an educator by trade, but this position has<br />
afforded me the opportunity to get to know a wonderful team and<br />
community of administrators, educators, students, and families to<br />
tell the exciting success stories that are achieved on campus daily.<br />
I hope you enjoy this issue of The <strong>Tower</strong> that focuses on seniors<br />
and their achievements. We congratulate them on all that they have<br />
achieved this year! They have patiently endured and persevered in<br />
challenging times, gaining skills which will serve them well as they<br />
continue on their individual paths toward the future.<br />
The theme of our issue is Traditions with Passion and Purpose. We<br />
have aimed to go about the year as normally as possible, keeping<br />
as many traditions intact as possible. We have also achieved<br />
another major milestone in MVA’s history with the opening of<br />
Lindor Hall, our new Middle School named for Francisco Lindor,<br />
our lead donor, superstar MLB player and generous alumnus. It<br />
is a beautiful building where Middle School students will continue<br />
the tradition of pursuing excellence in academics. We have our<br />
Employee Spotlight, stories about each division, update on Alumni<br />
in Class Notes to learn more about what is happening at MVA.<br />
We welcome feedback and encourage you to share your thoughts<br />
with our team at ashley.kesselring@montverde.org.<br />
I wish you all a happy, safe and rejuvenating summer!<br />
Kind regards,<br />
Andrea L. Colby<br />
Director of Communications<br />
“Ability is what you’re<br />
capable of doing.<br />
Motivation determines<br />
what you do. Attitude<br />
determines how well<br />
you do it.”<br />
Lou Holtz<br />
IN THIS ISSUE<br />
8<br />
9<br />
22<br />
35<br />
<strong>2021</strong> Valedictorian<br />
<strong>2021</strong> Salutatorian<br />
Francisco Lindor Pays<br />
It Forward<br />
MVA in the NCAA Tournament<br />
CONTENTS<br />
Message from the Head of School...................... 4<br />
Parents’ Perspective.......................................... 12<br />
Pursuing Passion.............................................. 14<br />
Upper School Teacher of the Year..................... 21<br />
Employee Spotlight........................................... 22<br />
Kindergarten Graduation................................... 30<br />
Fifth Grade Graduation...................................... 31<br />
Lower School Teacher of the Year..................... 32<br />
Development Update......................................... 33<br />
Middle School Teacher of the Year.................... 34<br />
Student’s Artwork Wins Silver Award................. 35<br />
Sports Wrap Up................................................. 42<br />
College Signing Day.......................................... 44<br />
Fine Arts Achievements..................................... 46<br />
Alumni Relations............................................... 52<br />
Allison Fitzgerald ’20 Interns............................. 53<br />
Alumni Class Notes........................................... 54<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 3
TRADITION<br />
of a strong<br />
WORK<br />
ETHIC<br />
By Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring, Head of School<br />
Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring<br />
“This school was launched in the interest of the worthy poor of our country for the<br />
purpose of sending out men and women with a thorough education combining mental,<br />
moral, and industrial training. The institution believes that the best way to help the youth<br />
of our country is to help them help themselves.” Dr. H. P. Carpenter<br />
Since the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020,<br />
reflection has become a more welcomed attribute as we<br />
think of times perhaps better than the present or more<br />
appropriately consider our blessings and the many things<br />
for which we may take for granted. Dr. Henry P. Carpenter<br />
felt too many students were being denied access to a<br />
private school education as a result of socioeconomic<br />
conditions. He established a non-profit group that, in turn,<br />
created a board of officials to oversee the development<br />
of various stocks to be sold to create The Montverde<br />
Industrial School. From Boyle County, Kentucky, Dr.<br />
Carpenter traveled to Central Florida where he located a<br />
piece of land in the village of Montverde nestled between<br />
Lake Florence and Lake Apopka.<br />
The school was comprised of a small two-room building<br />
and church on 13 acres. No sale price was ever listed<br />
but records show the school paid $10.50 in taxes for 10<br />
plots of land. The school opened on September 23, 1912,<br />
with Dr. Carpenter serving as Head of School while his<br />
wife served as Lady Principal. With 20 faculty and nearly<br />
200 students, the administration building was erected in<br />
1912 and 1914; tuition was $132.00 per year. The school<br />
began to attract students of various socioeconomic<br />
backgrounds and developed a reputation for its rigorous<br />
academic and athletic programming. Students were<br />
required to earn half of their tuition by working for the<br />
betterment of the school and community. Boys worked<br />
in the fields farming potatoes, corn, and beans or<br />
assisting in the school maintenance shop repairing the<br />
infrastructure of the school and campus buildings. Girls<br />
were also expected to work in the make-shift kitchens<br />
preparing food for daily meals or in the living room<br />
making curtains, clothes, or rugs. Both boys and girls<br />
worked at a nearby steam cannery canning vegetables,<br />
fruit, and meats enriched from the school’s area farms.<br />
In 1922, Industrial was dropped from the school’s<br />
name, and it officially became known as The Montverde<br />
School (TMS). The word industrial possessed a<br />
negative connotation that was often associated with<br />
the penitentiary system at the time. The school desired<br />
to continue to establish itself as a strong academic<br />
institution instead of an improvement or reform school. In<br />
1923, a gift of $10,000 was made by Carrie F. Conrad to<br />
build the Carrie F. Conrad chapel. Before the dedication,<br />
Conrad insisted that the name of Karl Lehmann be added<br />
to the chapel’s dedication out of respect for Mr. Lehmann<br />
who conceptualized the original idea for a chapel on the<br />
campus. The Conrad-Lehmann building still stands today,<br />
and although it has been renovated numerous times over<br />
the past century, it still serves as a place of education.<br />
4 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
Throughout the decades ahead, the school managed<br />
to survive World War I, the Spanish Flu, the Great<br />
Depression, World War II, and the Vietnam War. In<br />
the 1960s, in an effort to continue to align itself with a<br />
commitment to strong academia, the Montverde School<br />
would once again alter its name to become<br />
Montverde Academy.<br />
Montverde Academy is the oldest private independent<br />
school in Central Florida. Even more remarkable,<br />
throughout its more than 108 years of history, it has had<br />
only seven Heads of School, three of which account<br />
for more than 90 years of the Academy’s 108-year<br />
history including Dr. Carpenter, Dr. Stephens, and Dr.<br />
Kesselring. In the modern era, the average tenure of a<br />
Head of School at a single school is four years. Scholarly<br />
research shows a marked correlation between student<br />
achievement and consistency in school leadership<br />
exhibiting a commitment to long-term planning and<br />
program implementation which can often get derailed<br />
amid frequent turnover in leadership.<br />
What does this mean? Despite the challenges of<br />
COVID-19 on schools around the world, Montverde<br />
Academy remained committed to its core values and<br />
continued to deliver a quality educational platform for<br />
students both in-person and distance learning. Moreover,<br />
as we examine the past, Montverde Academy has always<br />
been loyal to a fundamental principle‒work ethic. At its<br />
founding, the Academy instilled in its students a quality<br />
work ethic by challenging them both inside and outside<br />
the classroom, something we continue to do today. With<br />
more than 30 Advanced Placement (AP) courses and<br />
dual enrollment opportunities at the University of Florida<br />
and Lake Sumter State College, as well as a host of<br />
challenging extra-curricular opportunities through various<br />
athletic, arts, and activity programs, our students are<br />
continuing to learn the value of building a strong work<br />
ethic that we anticipate will prove to be a solid foundation<br />
for post-secondary education.<br />
As we begin to see the light in the tunnel in the battle<br />
against COVID-19, and I reflect on our history, I am<br />
mindful that ours is not the worst of times. In 1918, The<br />
Spanish Flu was estimated to have infected a third of the<br />
world’s population at the time (500 million people) with<br />
an estimated 50 million deaths. Current COVID-19 data<br />
estimates 167 million infections and 3.47 million deaths;<br />
World War I claimed an estimated 20 million lives, World<br />
War II, 75 million.<br />
Examining our history can place things in perspective.<br />
Montverde Academy has a history of persevering through<br />
challenging times, and I am grateful that those who came<br />
before us remained loyal to our greatest strength‒our<br />
work ethic and to prepare our students to stand strong<br />
in the world‒“to help them to help themselves” by giving<br />
them the tools to succeed in a global economy and<br />
provide them with an education which challenges them<br />
and surrounds them with others from around the world to<br />
compete in the world.<br />
Campus in the early 1900s<br />
Campus in the early 1900s<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 5
Class of <strong>2021</strong><br />
214 41<br />
GRADUATES<br />
SENIORS<br />
GRADUATED CUM LAUDE<br />
238 COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES<br />
Graduates were accepted to 238 colleges<br />
and universities<br />
16,758 hours<br />
of community service<br />
completed by the Senior class<br />
6 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
3<br />
AVERAGE AP<br />
EXAM SCORE<br />
13.2 MILLION<br />
Graduates were offered more than 13.2 million<br />
dollars in collegiate scholarships<br />
63 ATHLETIC<br />
SCHOLARSHIPS<br />
Twenty-nine percent of the<br />
graduating class received<br />
athletic scholarships.<br />
36<br />
COUNTRIES<br />
The class of <strong>2021</strong> had 36 countries<br />
represented<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 7
CLASS OF <strong>2021</strong><br />
Valedictorian<br />
Kendyl Cardwell<br />
By Dr. Anne Browdy, Upper School Mathematics<br />
Montverde Academy’s Valedictorian for the Class of <strong>2021</strong><br />
is Kendyl Cardwell. I had the pleasure of having Kendyl<br />
as a math student her freshman, sophomore, and junior<br />
years for Pre-Calculus Honors, AP Calculus AB, and AP<br />
Calculus BC. She won the award for top Pre-Calculus<br />
Honors student as a freshman. She has an excellent<br />
understanding of the material and goes above and beyond<br />
what I expect of my students. She received a score of 5<br />
on the AP Calculus AB exam and a score of 5 on the AP<br />
Calculus BC exam. Kendyl is proud of accomplishing her<br />
goal of reaching Multi-Variable Calculus while still in high<br />
school. She took the course online through Johns Hopkins<br />
University this year.<br />
An interesting fact about Kendyl is that when she was<br />
younger, she was very focused on writing and thought<br />
she would pursue a career involving English. She comes<br />
from a literature-focused family. Her father was an English<br />
major, her aunt was an editor for the Wall Street Journal,<br />
and her grandmother was a writer. Kendyl, however,<br />
realized that she enjoys the STEM field even more. Her<br />
plan is to major in engineering and minor in English, and<br />
to find a way to combine the two areas in a unique way.<br />
Sounds interesting!<br />
A highly dedicated honor roll student-athlete, Kendyl is<br />
a member of the Distinguished Scholars Program and<br />
the Head of School’s Leadership Institute. She was<br />
recognized as an AP Scholar with Distinction and earned<br />
a <strong>2021</strong> National Merit Scholarship. Kendyl has been a<br />
member of MVA’s Math Club and our competition Math<br />
Team for two years. This year, she helped the team win<br />
the annual ‘Mathlympics’ competition, hosted by Lake-<br />
Sumter State College. She has been a valuable member<br />
of our varsity girls cross country and track and field teams<br />
for several years, where she earned the Leadership and<br />
MVP awards. She recently competed at the state level in<br />
two events, the 1600m and 4x800m relay.<br />
Kendyl has enjoyed and gotten the most she could out of<br />
her six years at MVA. She has shared how grateful she<br />
is for the very supportive environment that the school<br />
has provided her; an environment in which she has felt<br />
comfortable challenging herself. She appreciates all<br />
the opportunities she was given and all of the excellent<br />
teachers she has had. Her time spent with the cross<br />
country and track & field teams will be some of her favorite<br />
memories and has shaped life-long friendships. One of<br />
the things I suspect she will miss the most is going to the<br />
coffee shop with those friends.<br />
MVA congratulates Kendyl on selecting the University of<br />
Chicago to attend in the fall. The University of Chicago<br />
is ranked among the best universities in the world and is<br />
among the most selective in the United States. Kendyl<br />
plans to study molecular engineering and will run for their<br />
women’s cross country and track & field teams. She feels<br />
that this university will be a great fit for her, academically<br />
and athletically, as their molecular engineering program is<br />
outstanding and she wants to study a subject in which she<br />
can make an impact.<br />
This young lady always has a smile on her face and a<br />
very positive outlook on the future. She is an extremely<br />
motivated individual and I have no doubt that she will<br />
achieve any goal she sets for herself. I feel very privileged<br />
to have had the opportunity to be Kendyl’s math teacher<br />
and getting the chance to know such an amazing person.<br />
8 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
CLASS OF <strong>2021</strong><br />
Salutatorian<br />
Lillia (Lilly) Anderson<br />
By Kyle Clapper, Upper School History<br />
There are few professions which share the paradox<br />
of parenting. It can be trying to invest such time, care,<br />
and patience to strengthen our students for the world<br />
beyond, just to see them leave. Though raising a child<br />
is considerably more difficult than being a teacher, our<br />
shared goal of preparing young minds is the same.<br />
Parents and teachers hope to impact the lives we are<br />
entrusted with and to equip them with the necessary skills<br />
to overcome any challenge.<br />
This preparation can be filled with frustration and<br />
difficulties, but there are times when the unexpected<br />
walks into your classroom. As a teacher, I aim to inspire<br />
students, but in the case of Lilly Anderson, MVA’s <strong>2021</strong><br />
Salutatorian, the roles have been flipped, and she has<br />
inspired me.<br />
The hardships of 2020 and <strong>2021</strong> didn’t impede the<br />
Class of <strong>2021</strong>, but exposed its brilliance, found within<br />
the many MVA student leaders, like Lilly. The past year’s<br />
challenges did not define Lilly, but rather illuminated her<br />
excellence. Each perceived setback was an opportunity to<br />
demonstrate her genuine character that was forged in the<br />
fires of uncertainty and sharpened by the daily struggles of<br />
a high school senior. She weathered the storm, braced by<br />
her resolve and fortitude, and inspired her classmates to<br />
look beyond the expected to become extraordinary.<br />
During my time at MVA, I have had the privilege of<br />
working with Lilly in AP U.S. Government and being<br />
part of a memorable class trip to Washington D.C. She<br />
is an outstanding student and a marvelous person. It is<br />
students such as Lilly that fill my heart as a teacher. I<br />
recall helping her prepare for the Sons of the American<br />
Revolution Oration contest, a demanding experience<br />
which requires students to research, write, memorize,<br />
and deliver a speech about a Revolutionary War topic.<br />
I was struck by the passion of her message describing<br />
female empowerment and the role women played in<br />
the Revolutionary War was striking and inspiring. I was<br />
so proud of what this amazing young woman has and<br />
will accomplish, and her sense of optimism. Lilly did not<br />
simply deliver a speech – she carved a path of opportunity<br />
and promise for other young women.<br />
The right words fail me to fully chronicle the many stories<br />
of Lilly, and the many lives she has touched. I dread<br />
saying goodbye to students who have touched my life –<br />
and Lilly is a student to remember. There is no grade that<br />
can fully realize the impact this young person has had on<br />
MVA.<br />
She inspires others to reach further, to work harder, and<br />
to become the best version of oneself. She is a striking,<br />
courageous example of determination and hope. There<br />
is little doubt of the many lives Lilly will impact and the<br />
stories she will write. Though my heart will break as Lilly<br />
moves onto her next great adventure, I find comfort in this<br />
gift of a student who will soon be sharing her amazing<br />
talents with an even larger community.<br />
As some of you know my wife and I have just celebrated<br />
the birth of our first child, a little girl. It would be difficult to<br />
find a better student for my young daughter to aspire to<br />
than Lilly. She is an inspiration; she is the flower of MVA.<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 9
College<br />
Acceptances<br />
Below is the list of college acceptances for the Class of <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
Congratulations on your achievements!<br />
Abilene Christian University<br />
Adelphi University<br />
AdventHealth University<br />
American International College<br />
American University in Dubai<br />
Arcadia University<br />
Auburn University<br />
Ave Maria University<br />
Bard College<br />
Barry University<br />
Baylor University<br />
Belmont University<br />
Bentley University<br />
Berry College<br />
Birmingham Southern College<br />
Boston College<br />
Boston University<br />
Butler University<br />
California Baptist University<br />
California State Polytechnic<br />
University, Pomona<br />
Carlow University<br />
Carson-Newman University<br />
Case Western Reserve University<br />
Clark University<br />
Clemson University<br />
Colorado School of Mines<br />
Colorado State University<br />
Columbia College, South Carolina<br />
Concordia University Irvine<br />
Creighton University<br />
Crown College<br />
Davidson College<br />
Dean College<br />
DePaul University<br />
Drexel University<br />
East Carolina University<br />
Eastern University<br />
Eckerd College<br />
Elon University<br />
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University,<br />
Daytona Beach<br />
Emerson College<br />
Emory University<br />
Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison<br />
Flagler College<br />
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical<br />
University<br />
Florida Atlantic University<br />
Florida Gulf Coast University<br />
Florida Institute of Technology<br />
Florida International University<br />
Florida Memorial University<br />
Florida Southern College<br />
Florida State University<br />
Fordham University<br />
Furman University<br />
George Mason University<br />
George Washington University<br />
Georgia Institute of Technology<br />
Georgia Southern University<br />
Gettysburg College<br />
Greensboro College<br />
Gonzaga University<br />
Goucher College<br />
Hawaii Pacific University<br />
Hendrix College<br />
High Point University<br />
Hillsborough Community College<br />
Hofstra University<br />
Houston Baptist University<br />
Howard University<br />
Hult International Business School<br />
Huntingdon College<br />
Illinois State University<br />
Independence Community College<br />
Indiana University, Bloomington<br />
Jacksonville University<br />
James Madison University<br />
Johnson & Wales University, Providence<br />
Keiser University<br />
LaGrange College<br />
Lake Sumter State College<br />
Lincoln Memorial University<br />
Louisiana State University<br />
Louisiana State University, Eunice<br />
Loyola University, Chicago<br />
Loyola University, New Orleans<br />
Luther College<br />
Lynn University<br />
Manhattan College<br />
Mars Hill University<br />
Marshall University<br />
Mercer University<br />
Mercy College<br />
Miami University, Oxford<br />
Montreat College<br />
New College of Florida<br />
New York University<br />
Newberry College<br />
Northeastern University<br />
Northwest Florida State College<br />
Nova Southeastern University<br />
Oxford College of Emory University<br />
Pace University<br />
Pacific University<br />
Parsons School of Design at<br />
The New School<br />
Pennsylvania State University, Abington<br />
Pennsylvania State University, Altoona<br />
Pennsylvania State University, University<br />
Park<br />
Point Park University<br />
Point University<br />
Purdue University<br />
Radford University<br />
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute<br />
Regis University<br />
Rider University<br />
Rochester Institute of Technology<br />
10 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
Rollins College<br />
Roosevelt University<br />
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology<br />
Rowan University<br />
Rutgers University, New Brunswick<br />
Saint Leo University<br />
Santa Fe College<br />
Savannah College of Art & Design<br />
Seattle University<br />
Seton Hall University<br />
Simmons University<br />
Sonoma State University<br />
St. Andrews University<br />
St. John’s University<br />
St. Thomas University<br />
Stetson University<br />
Stevenson University<br />
Stony Brook University<br />
Suffolk University<br />
SUNY at Purchase College<br />
SUNY College of Environmental Science<br />
& Forestry<br />
SUNY University at Buffalo<br />
Swarthmore College<br />
Syracuse University<br />
Tallahassee Community College<br />
The Ohio State University<br />
The University of Alabama<br />
The University of Queensland<br />
The University of Scranton<br />
The University of Tampa<br />
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville<br />
The University of Texas, Arlington<br />
The University of West Florida<br />
United States Merchant Marine Academy<br />
United States Military Academy<br />
United States Naval Academy<br />
University of Arizona<br />
University of Arkansas<br />
University of British Columbia,<br />
Okanagan<br />
University of California, Davis<br />
University of California, Irvine<br />
University of California, Los Angeles<br />
University of California, Merced<br />
University of California, Riverside<br />
University of California, San Diego<br />
University of California, Santa Barbara<br />
University of California, Santa Cruz<br />
University of Central Florida<br />
University of Chicago<br />
University of Cincinnati<br />
University of Colorado, Boulder<br />
University of Connecticut<br />
University of Dallas<br />
University of Dayton<br />
University of Delaware<br />
University of Denver<br />
University of Florida<br />
University of Georgia<br />
University of Hartford<br />
University of Hawaii, Manoa<br />
University of Houston<br />
University of Illinois, Chicago<br />
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign<br />
University of Kentucky<br />
University of Louisville<br />
University of Massachusetts, Amherst<br />
University of Massachusetts, Boston<br />
University of Miami<br />
University of Michigan<br />
University of Mississippi<br />
University of Minnesota Twin Cities<br />
University of New Haven<br />
University of New Orleans<br />
University of North Carolina, Asheville<br />
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill<br />
University of North Carolina School of<br />
the Arts<br />
University of North Carolina, Wilmington<br />
University of North Florida<br />
University of Northwestern Ohio<br />
University of Oregon<br />
University of Pennsylvania<br />
University of Pittsburgh<br />
University of Portland<br />
University of Richmond<br />
University of San Diego<br />
University of San Francisco<br />
University of Scranton<br />
University of South Carolina<br />
University of South Florida,<br />
St. Petersburg<br />
University of Southern California<br />
University of Toronto<br />
University of the Pacific<br />
University of Washington, Seattle<br />
University of Waterloo<br />
Vanderbilt University<br />
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and<br />
State University<br />
Wabash Valley College<br />
Wake Forest University<br />
Warner University<br />
Washington College<br />
Washington State University<br />
Webber International University<br />
West Texas A & M University<br />
Western University<br />
Western Washington University<br />
Wheaton College<br />
William Peace University<br />
Wingate University<br />
Wright State University<br />
Xavier University<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 11
By Andrea Colby, Director of Communications<br />
Montverde Academy launched its Pre-K3 program in<br />
2003, making this year’s Class of 2020 the third class to<br />
graduate where students could have spent their entire<br />
school career at MVA. Seven of our graduates have done<br />
just that this year – becoming graduates of the Class of<br />
<strong>2021</strong>. We’re proud to congratulate Peyton Boggs, Kai<br />
Eisenhardt, Jennifer Ghivizzani, Brianna Hiers, Matthew<br />
Morrison, Alia Rodriguez, and Jackson Shaban on their<br />
graduation and celebrate 15 years of being a part of the<br />
MVA family.<br />
When asked, “What is it about Montverde Academy that<br />
your family valued to keep your student here from Pre-K3<br />
through graduation?” the sense of community was the<br />
resounding response.<br />
“My late husband and I made the decision to put our<br />
children in Montverde Academy to instill in them at an<br />
early age the importance of community and education,”<br />
said Mrs. Maria Morrison. “We felt that if they had a<br />
strong foundation that would be carried throughout their<br />
adult life.”<br />
“Montverde Academy and the wonderful instructional staff<br />
played a significant role in transforming my extremely<br />
shy and quiet child,” said the Hiers family. “Through the<br />
diverse school community, safety, smaller class sizes,<br />
and caring teachers and staff, Brianna has become a<br />
confident, driven, thoughtful, goal oriented, and organized<br />
young woman who is fully prepared for her next chapter<br />
in life navigating her college education as well as<br />
into adulthood.”<br />
“MVA became our extended family since our Alia’s first<br />
day of Pre-K3,” said the Rodriguez family. “Character,<br />
Community, and Knowledge are the attributes valued and<br />
applied in our daughter’s daily life. Character developed<br />
the strong, confident young lady she became; community<br />
became her lifelong friends and nourishing teachers<br />
who allowed her to achieve academic success; and<br />
knowledge encompasses all the hard work, dedication<br />
and academic successes.”<br />
“Kai remained at MVA from Pre-K 3 through graduation<br />
because she thrived in the environment,” said Ms.<br />
Eisenhardt. “As parents, we were comfortable knowing<br />
that teachers and staff knew her as an individual. The<br />
community offered a safe environment and resources for<br />
Kai to develop and explore. Her beloved rescue horses,<br />
Atlas and Calypso, lived at the equestrian center on<br />
campus, whose close proximity allowed her time to care<br />
for them and grow into a compassionate, strong person.”<br />
“We choose MVA because of the balance of student<br />
support and learning environment,” said the Boggs<br />
family. “It is reassuring to have a sense of community<br />
Peyton Boggs<br />
Alia Rodriguez with her mother Mayra<br />
Kai Eisenhardt<br />
12 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
Brianna Hiers Matthew Morrison Jackson Shaban Jennifer Ghivizzani<br />
as you progress through the years. We wanted a Lower<br />
School program that was more academic than a day care,<br />
which we felt was important to learning. The opportunity<br />
to explore the arts, Spanish, and technology were key<br />
factors. It isn’t just academic learning, but social skills,<br />
life lessons, and resilience. These skills came in the<br />
form of Mr. Delmolino reminding you to greet someone<br />
and Ms. Shackelford addressing assembly with Lion<br />
King quotes or a Skippy John story. These moments left<br />
lasting impressions. The Upper School’s small classes,<br />
AP class choices, and great college advising staff offered<br />
a glimpse of what college looks like and prepared Peyton<br />
for that next step.”<br />
These students have achieved goals and been positively<br />
influenced by teachers and coaches along the way. The<br />
Morrison family shared: “I think that Mr. Del was the most<br />
influential person for Matthew in Middle School. Mr. Del<br />
was always encouraging and pushed Matthew to be a<br />
better student and person.”<br />
“Running as part of the cross country and track teams<br />
has been an important part of Brianna’s experience where<br />
she’s developed great friends and helped her focus on<br />
accomplishing goals. Being elected as Vice President of<br />
her student class in Middle School was also significant.<br />
She wanted to challenge herself and that election helped<br />
to do something outside her comfort zone.”<br />
“Peyton has always loved books and words,” said Mr.<br />
and Mrs. Boggs. “In Middle School, she decided to be a<br />
writer. Mrs. Parets always encouraged her to follow her<br />
dream. Ms. Tamasi and Mrs. Walsworth were supportive<br />
and helped her grow as a writer. Many faculty and staff<br />
were influential and supportive, fostering her imaginative<br />
attributes, inspiring her creative pursuits such as singing,<br />
drama and film, while others encouraged her to be herself<br />
and built her confidence.”<br />
“Everyone Alia has encountered, her teachers, advisors,<br />
counselors, and peers, were blessings. Throughout the<br />
15 years, MVA has been a second home to our family.<br />
It was the support from everyone Alia encountered who<br />
paved the way to her becoming a successful student and<br />
individual. She has been empowered to challenge herself<br />
in and outside of the classroom. Her MVA education is<br />
one of the foundations that will carry her throughout her<br />
college career.”<br />
“The most significant goal Kai achieved was acceptance<br />
to the University of Pennsylvania. Challenging<br />
herself with rigorous AP classes has afforded her the<br />
opportunity to attend and compete as an athlete in<br />
the Ivy League Conference. Several teachers from all<br />
three divisions have influenced Kai - Carmen Synovec<br />
and Karla Lafferty inspired her as a young learner. The<br />
ever positive and unique Mr. Delmolino taught her the<br />
importance of citizenship. Dr. Browdy challenged her<br />
and she relied on Mr. Lance Walsworth to look into the<br />
future,” said Ms. Eisenhardt.<br />
Our families are truly ambassadors for MVA who speak<br />
from their many years of experience. When asked what<br />
they would say to a prospective family about why they<br />
chose MVA, they responded with comments like:<br />
• Our family chose Montverde Academy because we<br />
wanted to be a part of a supportive environment that<br />
treated every student as an individual.<br />
• We appreciate the safety, security, and beauty of<br />
campus where we feel like family in this community.<br />
• The leadership and staff focus on the pillars of<br />
character, community and knowledge.<br />
• It is the rich, diverse community and multitude of<br />
activities that allows a student to explore all the<br />
possibilities: achievement, leadership, sportsmanship,<br />
and teamwork. It is the foundation for your child’s<br />
developmental growth and academic success. The<br />
possibilities are endless.<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 13
PURSUING<br />
PASSION<br />
By Andrea Colby, Director of Communications<br />
LUC GRANITUR<br />
Luc Granitur plays for the SIMA Gold team, which boasts some<br />
of the most talented soccer players found on high school teams<br />
throughout the U.S. Luc has been playing soccer for as long as he<br />
can remember, but it was an injury in eighth-grade that sidelined<br />
him – and was a turning point as he realized just how much he<br />
loved the sport.<br />
“It was sitting on the sidelines watching my team play when I<br />
realized that I wanted to make sure that soccer was part of my life<br />
all the time because I love it,” said Luc. “I now play every game like<br />
it’s my last, because I learned that it really could be the last game.<br />
I love the language of soccer, that no matter what language you<br />
speak, it brings people together. There are six or seven different<br />
languages spoken by my team members, but on the field, we all<br />
work together to achieve our goal. I have friends from all over the<br />
world and have learned about different cultures. We do a great job<br />
of blending together, while respecting each other’s differences.”<br />
His talent for soccer found him playing for the Orlando City<br />
Development Academy, which is where he learned about<br />
Montverde Academy and the SIMA program. He and his family<br />
agreed that it was a great opportunity for him to focus academics<br />
and athletics in MVA’s structured, challenging environment. “It<br />
was a big adjustment and even though I’m only two hours away<br />
from home, it’s hard to fit in family visits. My family and I have all<br />
made sacrifices for me to pursue soccer, but being at Montverde<br />
Academy has really prepared me for the next level, which I<br />
hope is playing soccer professionally. I am thankful for all of the<br />
opportunities I’ve had, for all the places that soccer has taken me<br />
and am looking forward to playing soccer for the University of North<br />
Carolina, Chapel Hill and studying sports science in the fall.”<br />
Favorite memory – Playing on the U.S. Senior National Team. “We<br />
lost 4-0, but playing against some of the best players in the country<br />
and being able to keep up with them, it was a highlight.”<br />
Motivating quote – Always give 100 percent, 100 percent of the time.<br />
14 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
ANTHONY MOREHEAD<br />
Anthony Morehead is a charismatic, upbeat young man who can<br />
easily break into song or vehemently discuss politics. His passion<br />
for theatre is apparent with his long resume of productions, but his<br />
passion for social justice is revealed when you embark upon a more<br />
meaningful discussion of life, the universe, and everything.<br />
“I’m interested in and love everything,” said Anthony. “The Musical<br />
Theatre Conservatory was a great way for me to pursue many<br />
different interests from acting, singing and choreography, to amateur<br />
blacksmithing, technical theatre aspects, and playing music – I’ve<br />
gotten to combine all of that in my experience at MVA. I’m also an<br />
activist who wants to help others by fighting for causes I believe in<br />
and I get to be true to myself here.”<br />
Anthony found MVA through summer camp and came to school here<br />
in sixth grade, which helped him balance his love for the theatre<br />
with rigorous academics. He had once easily achieved good grades<br />
without much effort, and now finds himself working hard in classes<br />
such as forensic science, philosophy and psychology, balanced<br />
with the demands of five large-scale productions and many smaller<br />
projects as well.<br />
“Being able to dance, act and sing while immersed in academia is<br />
such a great opportunity. We’ve done so many shows, I mean fullfledged<br />
productions that I’ve worked on every single one in some<br />
way, is rewarding. Through the connections Ms. Emerson has, I’ve<br />
also acted in a professional production of “Hello Dolly!” at the Garden<br />
Theatre for which I was recognized in the Orlando Sentinel as a 2020<br />
best featured actor. Who gets to do that in high school? I’m really<br />
lucky to have my parents’ full support in everything thing I do. They<br />
encourage me to be true to my self – activist, actor, musician – which<br />
makes all of the sacrifices we’ve made worth it.”<br />
Favorite Memory: Performing in “She Loves Me,” I had the most vivid<br />
theatre moment of all time before running into the theatre I was alone<br />
in the lobby listening to the audience laughing in the right places<br />
and hearing my friends perform – it was a moment to reflect on how<br />
much I love the friendships I’ve made and the experiences I’ve been<br />
a part of here at MVA.<br />
Motivating quote: Finishing the Hat – this song is from “Sunday in the<br />
Park with George,” and it reminds me sometimes art is a sacrifice,<br />
but you’re not wrong if you’re doing what you love.<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 15
GIULLIANA PEREZ<br />
Giulliana Perez is an outgoing and extremely helpful young lady who is always willing to jump in and help others. She<br />
recalls being shy and quiet when she began at Montverde Academy in fifth grade. However, she made up her mind<br />
to change that and joined Builder’s Club to get out of her comfort zone by getting involved in a club activity. Following<br />
her mother’s example of helping others and giving thanks, Giulliana found a home in Builder’s Club and progressed on<br />
to Key Club in Upper School, where she continued building her leadership skills and has gone on to serve as MVA’s<br />
Key Club President for two years, the volunteer chair of the Arts and Athletics Leadership Council (AALC), and leading<br />
volunteer activities to help others throughout our community.<br />
Giulliana also spends her time in the pool as co-captain with Alexa Cecchi of this year's swim team. She is a District<br />
Champion, Regional Runner-Up, and a State Meet competitor in the 500m freestyle event. As a relay swimmer she<br />
competes in both the 200m medley and 200m freestyle relays and is a valued member of the team.<br />
Even in this challenging time of COVID-19, Key Club fundraisers have raised $3,000 this year for the Greater Cancer<br />
Foundation. That donation helped three local families who are affected by cancer. “My Mom has always made sure we<br />
participate in community service,” said Giulliana. “I’m grateful for that as it’s given me exposure to and appreciation of<br />
the value volunteering has. For example, when I volunteered in a homeless shelter, I saw families who were celebrating<br />
the positive when surrounded by challenging circumstances – that inspires me. I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’ve<br />
had, so being able to give to others in a meaningful way is something I’ve become passionate about.”<br />
Her passion for helping others has sparked an interest in sociology,<br />
public policy and criminal justice, which she will pursue in<br />
college with long-term plans to go to law school. She is<br />
thinking about international law and would like to work for<br />
the United Nations representing the underprivileged. She<br />
spent her summer volunteering, often with the Second<br />
Harvest Food Bank and other local non-profits.<br />
“Montverde Academy has prepared me for the<br />
next phase of my life and these walls will always<br />
be ‘home’ for me. I’ve loved being a part of a<br />
community who has helped me become the<br />
person I am today. My parents left Venezuela to<br />
make a better life here and I’m grateful for their<br />
constant support. But now, I’m ready to spread<br />
my wings and fly.”<br />
Favorite memory: Being selected for Head<br />
of School’s Leadership Institute “One of my<br />
proudest moments was being selected for the<br />
HLI. I remember Dr. Kesselring reminding me to<br />
breathe because I was<br />
so nervous.”<br />
Motivating quote: Just when the caterpillar thought the<br />
world was over, it became a butterfly.<br />
16 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
CALEB SHEYDA<br />
Caleb Sheyda is a driven student-athlete who seeks out challenges. As a<br />
sophomore transfer from Apopka, Caleb was ready to challenge himself<br />
academically and athletically, playing lacrosse for Coach Brooks Sweet, whom<br />
he had been coached by as a freshman. The move has resulted in continued<br />
excellence in the classroom and on the field. He was selected to participate<br />
in the 2020 Boys State and the U.S. Military Academy <strong>Summer</strong> Leaders<br />
Experience, was a member of the Eagle Ambassadors in the Head of School’s<br />
Leadership Institute, Entrepreneurship Club, and Youth Group at First Baptist<br />
Sweetwater, and a volunteer for the Special Olympics.<br />
“At Montverde Academy, everyone is focused on academics as well as<br />
athletics, so I began to really apply myself,” said Caleb. “I pushed myself in the<br />
classroom and on the field. If I give 100 percent effort it reflects well and brings<br />
up the team or those around me. If you’re dedicated to learning and giving your<br />
best, then the outcome on everything around you is positive.”<br />
That focus has definitely worked for Caleb, who will attend<br />
the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in Maryland to pursue<br />
aerospace engineering. He also earned appointment into the<br />
U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was accepted into<br />
Auburn University on a full scholarship. He turned it<br />
all down to pursue becoming a fighter pilot with the<br />
ultimate goal of being selected for the Navy’s esteemed<br />
TOPGUN program.<br />
“I want to be the best in everything that I do. Whether<br />
it’s doing well in the toughest class or competing at<br />
the very highest level in lacrosse, I want to achieve<br />
excellence. I chose the military because I want to<br />
serve and protect my country and give back, as I’m<br />
grateful for the opportunities that God has given me. It<br />
has been a great experience at MVA for me. I’m glad to<br />
have built friendships with people from all over the world,<br />
and feel that all of the experiences here have prepared me<br />
for the next steps I’ll take on to Annapolis.”<br />
Motivating Quote: “I will give that to You, O Lord my God,<br />
with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever.” –<br />
Psalm 86:12. This keeps me on track through all the<br />
tough times, the ups and downs – I always remember<br />
that God has a plan.<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 17
RYAN NEMBHARD<br />
Ryan Nembhard is a quick, explosive point guard<br />
for our MVA Eagles varsity basketball team.<br />
Originally from Canada, he had a basketball in his<br />
hands at three years old and hasn’t put it down<br />
since. In his early basketball days, his father<br />
was his coach and Andrew, his brother and MVA<br />
alumnus, was a tough competitor – so he was<br />
immersed in the sport from a very early age. His<br />
family learned about Montverde Academy from a<br />
fellow Canadian and basketball player, and even<br />
though it was challenging to be so far away from<br />
home, he chose to pursue a dream of playing elite<br />
basketball at MVA.<br />
“It was a tough decision to leave the comfort of home<br />
and family, but I got used to it very quickly,” said Ryan. “I<br />
knew coming here would prepare me for what I had to do. I learned to<br />
be responsible for myself. You know your mom isn’t here to do your laundry<br />
or tell you to study, so the discipline and structure along with teachers and<br />
coaches who care about you has been the best situation for me to become a<br />
better student and athlete. Training with Coach Boyle and playing with great<br />
athletes made me raise my game – you learn very quickly that you have to<br />
put in the time and work to succeed.”<br />
This year was Ryan’s year to step up his leadership as the point guard. His<br />
energy level seems to set the tone for the team, and he hasn’t disappointed<br />
on the court amidst tough competitors and the challenges that COVID-19<br />
has presented. He committed to play Division I basketball for Creighton<br />
University in Omaha, Nebraska and hopes to be a part of March Madness.<br />
“I’ve had the opportunity to represent my country on Team Canada, and I<br />
have gotten to travel to Brazil and Hawaii through playing a game I love.<br />
I have great memories that are attached to basketball. Living in the dorm<br />
has been a lot of fun, I like to have fun and joke with people. If you’re<br />
having fun, I feel like everything will take care of itself. When you spend<br />
that much time with people – living together and playing on the same<br />
team, you become close and know how to come together on and off the<br />
court, which contributes to the success our teams have had.”<br />
Favorite memory – Going 25-0 last year was really memorable for me.<br />
Our team put in the work and the time to make sure we were going to<br />
succeed when it counted.<br />
Motivating quote – Lock in on Defense and Trust the Process. That<br />
keeps me focused, I know I’ve done the work and I trust my coaches – it<br />
assures me that it will be my time and all the work has prepared me for<br />
that moment.<br />
18 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
WESTON BAPTISTE<br />
Weston Baptiste started at Montverde Academy in<br />
the third grade and has seen the campus transform<br />
through the years. A Florida native, one of the things<br />
he appreciates about MVA is the fact that he has the<br />
opportunity to interact and become friends with people<br />
from all over the world. He has a quiet manner, but on the<br />
track, he is a fierce competitor who methodically achieves<br />
his goals and leaves competitors in his dust.<br />
“Growing up, I played every sport – basketball, baseball,<br />
soccer, but I was always fascinated by speed – the Flash<br />
was my favorite superhero and the cheetah is my favorite<br />
animal,” said Weston. “When I started really developing<br />
my love for running, my parents dove in to learn<br />
everything they could about the sport to become experts.<br />
My mom and dad have done everything to support me in<br />
whatever way possible so I’m very thankful to have their<br />
support and respect them for making sacrifices for me.”<br />
Weston runs the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races as well<br />
as the sprint relays. He has achieved great success,<br />
handily beating the seventh-ranked runner in Florida at a<br />
meet in March. As a sophomore, he placed third at State<br />
competition and had hoped to win a gold as a junior, but<br />
in the wake of COVID-19, has reset his sights to earn<br />
gold as a senior. He strives for excellence in what he<br />
does, but is focused on always being a student before<br />
being an athlete.<br />
“I’m not going to stop until I achieve my goals. I can<br />
only get to a certain place with sports and Montverde<br />
Academy has helped me find the balance of pursuing<br />
academics and training in athletics. Coach Gerald Phiri<br />
is very experienced in the sport. With his coaching and<br />
advice, I’ve been able to continue improving. I’m going to<br />
push my career forward through academics, but having<br />
the sport has helped me get to the school that will make it<br />
all happen. I’m going to Georgia Tech to study biology on<br />
a pre-med track. I want to be an orthodontist like my dad.”<br />
Weston concluded his senior year with a State<br />
Championship win in the 400m, a win at Regionals in<br />
the 400m, and wins at Districts in the 100m, 200m, and<br />
400m. “I’m itching to graduate. I’m ready for the next<br />
step, excited to go to Georgia Tech and I won’t stop until<br />
I achieve my goals. I’m eager to see what kind of person<br />
I’ll become,” said Weston.<br />
Motivating quote: Hard work beats talent when talent fails<br />
to work hard. People can only get under your skin if you<br />
give them consent. That reminds me to stay focused on<br />
what’s important because you’re the only one who’s got<br />
the key to getting what you want.<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 19
MARIA TREGANSIN<br />
Maria Tregansin is a smart, dedicated student who balances challenging academics (she’s taking AP physics, AP<br />
calculus and AP chemistry) with her passion for the sport of soccer. Motivated with a serious work ethic and focused<br />
drive, she has been one of the most consistent players on the pitch for the MVA Eagles girls varsity soccer team,<br />
which led the University of Central Florida to recruit her to play at the collegiate level.<br />
Maria recalls always playing soccer, but becoming more focused on the sport and<br />
excelling in Middle School. She came to Montverde Academy as a freshman,<br />
following Daniel, her brother who played for SIMA and graduated in 2019, and<br />
immediately talked to Coach Robbie Aristodemo to become part of the MVA girls<br />
soccer team.<br />
“I don’t think I could have found the balance of academics and athletics at any<br />
other school,” said Maria. “I’ve had great teachers and coaches at MVA, who<br />
care a lot about how you’re doing. Because of the attention of teachers<br />
like Dr. Browdy and Ms. Deluca, and Coach Robbie that I’ve been able<br />
to do well academically and athletically. Coach is a character who’s<br />
helped me grow with his straight-forward advice on what I am doing<br />
well and what I am not doing well. I know he believes in me and our<br />
team, which has helped us be very successful. He’s pushed me to find<br />
the strength I didn’t know I had. I also really appreciate my teammates!<br />
They are a family that’s a bit different every year, but these friendships<br />
will carry on long after school is done.”<br />
Throughout her high school soccer career, the team has earned two<br />
State Championship titles with an overall record of 65 wins and only<br />
one loss since 2017. That loss occurred in her freshman year when<br />
the team fell to the No. 1 team in the nation. It is an impressive record<br />
that has been challenged lately by COVID-19 and an injury that has<br />
sidelined Maria.<br />
“This injury has given me a new appreciation for the mobility and<br />
the success I had during the past four years. I haven’t been injured<br />
before, so my attention has had changed and I’ve had to think about<br />
not playing the sport. I still have same desire and passion to play, but I<br />
now realize that things can be temporary and there’s more to life than<br />
just soccer. I appreciate the support of my family. In the past, I’ve been<br />
very independent, and now, I realize how hard my parents work and<br />
how they are changing their lives to support me. The love from your<br />
family is like no other. I haven’t taken a second to think much about that<br />
because I’ve been so focused, so I really appreciate them,” said Maria.<br />
Favorite memory: Playing in WIST my sophomore year, there was a<br />
big crowd and the team clicked really well. It was really fun to play for<br />
the audience and win our tournament – there were college coaches<br />
watching and there was pressure, but we were all doing so well it<br />
was exciting.<br />
Motivating quote: Trust the process. I think everything happens for a<br />
reason, so be patient, keep working, trust the process, and you will<br />
eventually get to where you want to go.<br />
20 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
UPPER SCHOOL<br />
Teacher of the Year<br />
Mr. Lance Walsworth<br />
By Robert Burke, Upper School History Teacher<br />
Dr. Kesselring, Lance Walsworth, David Bernatavitz<br />
“I would like to thank Mr. Walsworth…”<br />
These words of gratitude have been expressed in<br />
speeches by numerous class presidents, graduating<br />
seniors, salutatorians, and valedictorians throughout the<br />
last 29 years of Lance Walsworth’s career as a teacher.<br />
Mr. Walsworth’s calling as an educator has taken him<br />
on a journey involving almost every content area offered<br />
in Upper School Social Studies. From U.S. History to<br />
Advanced Placement (AP) Micro and Macroeconomics,<br />
Mr. Walsworth has delivered effective instruction to<br />
countless local and international students.<br />
I first met Mr. Walsworth around 15 years ago. While<br />
in college, I was a substitute teacher working at East<br />
Ridge High, where he was the Social Studies Chair.<br />
The department’s workroom buzzed with conversations<br />
ranging from content to best teaching practices. As a<br />
developing educator, I found the environment of Mr.<br />
Walsworth’s department to be invaluable. His care<br />
and respect for his colleagues were only surpassed<br />
by the dedication to his students as I learned by being<br />
his substitute teacher on occasion. Five years into my<br />
career, I came to Montverde Academy. On the day of my<br />
interview, Mr. Walsworth was also on campus interviewing.<br />
Knowing I would be a colleague of Lance and Kristine<br />
Walsworth convinced me I had made the right decision in<br />
coming to Montverde Academy.<br />
Mr. Walsworth is now entering his eighth year at MVA. In<br />
that time, he has developed consistently high-performing<br />
AP Economics courses. Additionally, he created a tiered<br />
entrepreneurship program, which includes advanced<br />
business concepts, the placement of interns, and regular<br />
visits from successful local entrepreneurs. The energy of<br />
his classrooms connects with the students and empowers<br />
them to be successful.<br />
“Being a student of Mr. Walsworth is knowing there will<br />
always be someone in your corner and on your team,<br />
constantly looking out for your best interests as a student<br />
and most importantly as an equal” MVA student Shafer<br />
Bergman ’22 said.<br />
Among his colleagues, Mr. Walsworth is a trusted<br />
professional and friend. Amidst the uncertainties entering<br />
the 2020-21 academic year, the teachers of the Upper<br />
School knew his door was always open to us. He is<br />
always ready to lend his advice, support, or a listening<br />
ear whenever needed. Speaking for myself, I have<br />
approached him on numerous occasions for counsel on<br />
various subject matters. He demonstrates a gifted ability<br />
in helping a person understand the options in front of<br />
them without telling them what to do. To this end, I am<br />
particularly grateful.<br />
The scope of Lance Walsworth’s impact is visible in<br />
teacher Ms. Nicole DeLuca’s experience; “Mr. Walsworth<br />
was my teacher and volleyball coach. He is the reason I<br />
teach history today. Sitting in his World History class and<br />
watching his passion for the subject was all I needed to<br />
know ‘one day, I want to do as he does.’ Working with him<br />
now as a colleague has been a dream come true and he<br />
still teaches and inspires me every day.”<br />
On behalf of the Montverde Academy Upper School<br />
teachers, we congratulate Mr. Lance Walsworth as the<br />
2020-21 Teacher of the Year. Lance, for your continued<br />
dedication to students and leadership among peers, we<br />
sincerely thank you.<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 21
Employee<br />
Spotlight:<br />
Special Jennings<br />
By Andrea Colby, Director of Communications<br />
Special Jennings joined the Montverde<br />
Academy team in August 2020 with plans<br />
for a productive season with the Varsity<br />
Girls Basketball team. Special has been<br />
playing basketball all of her life and has<br />
built a career around a sport she loves.<br />
22 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
“I played all kinds of sports as a kid, everyone was at<br />
the park from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. growing up,” said Coach<br />
Jennings. “I was about 13 years old when I realized that I<br />
was good at it, and if I focused on it, it could be a vehicle<br />
to change my life. Through the sport, I was able to earn<br />
an education and enjoyed playing in every game, 115<br />
consecutively, at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.”<br />
At Xavier, she led the Musketeers to four Atlantic 10<br />
Conference Tournament titles, four NCAA Tournaments,<br />
an “Elite Eight” appearance, and three regular season<br />
titles. She then played professional basketball in Europe<br />
and enjoyed living in Germany and Helsinki, Finland.<br />
Her passion for the sport led her to pursue coaching for<br />
women’s basketball programs at Wright State University,<br />
Augusta University, Flagler College, and the University of<br />
Illinois at Chicago before landing here at MVA.<br />
“I enjoyed all of my experiences, which led me here to<br />
do my own thing. I was excited to come here and do<br />
something that has not been done on the girls’ side, and<br />
that’s to win a national championship. I get to be a leader<br />
and role model for young ladies, helping them find their<br />
path to accomplish whatever it is that they want do. I want<br />
to be a vessel to impact and broaden their lives,” said<br />
Coach Jennings.<br />
The team had a great season, making it all the way to<br />
hold the No. 1 spot on MaxPreps’ national team rankings<br />
for a number of weeks. They experienced only two losses<br />
in the season, to Lake Highland Preparatory and Emerge<br />
Christian Academy, for an overall record of 22-2. Coach<br />
Jennings is proud of their season and already preparing<br />
for next year.<br />
“The girls did a phenomenal job adapting to me and my<br />
coaching style. Coaching changes are always challenging,<br />
especially for teenagers. They understood my vision<br />
and know that my goal is to help us win a national<br />
championship. I want to make a name for the girls’<br />
basketball team and compete at the highest level – when<br />
you hear top national teams, MVA is mentioned for the girls<br />
program as well as the boys. I’m different than the other<br />
coaches and the players have adjusted to my demeanor.<br />
We’ve been able to set some records and were ranked<br />
in the top ten nationally this year. I think that growing our<br />
brand name, building a few more teams and getting us to a<br />
national championship is attainable with time.”<br />
What excites you about being a Basketball Coach<br />
here at MVA?<br />
“The challenge of doing something that has yet to be done<br />
on the girls’ side. I draw on advice and conversations I’ve<br />
had with my mentors such as Carla Morrow of Ohio State,<br />
and Erika Lang-Montgomery of University of Florida. I’ve<br />
had genuine, hard conversations as part of my journey.<br />
They understood my vision and goals and encouraged<br />
me to do things my way, and not try to follow someone<br />
else’s steps. I have learned that you have to figure out<br />
what your journey is and how you want to navigate it. Our<br />
boys’ basketball program has been amongst the top in<br />
the nation for years and I look to get our girls’ program to<br />
that same stature. Coach Kevin Boyle and I have a great<br />
relationship and we support one another’s program. We<br />
are not in competition with each other as the goal is for<br />
all of us to be successful. My hope for the future is that<br />
when you hear about MVA basketball playing for a Geico<br />
National Championship, you automatically say it is MVA<br />
boys and girls basketball.”<br />
What are you most proud of accomplishing in your<br />
first year?<br />
“In my first season here at MVA I am most proud of my<br />
players. They came in day in and day out and gave me<br />
110 percent effort on the court. These young ladies bought<br />
into the vision I set for the program, they gave up the “I”<br />
for an “us” and were very selfless. This is what made us<br />
successful. When you realize that the goal is bigger than<br />
yourself, you step out of your own way and allow yourself<br />
to learn and grow. I couldn’t ask for a better group of<br />
young ladies to start my journey off with.”<br />
Beyond work, what brings you joy?<br />
I am engaged to be married to Amber, my beautiful fiancé,<br />
on August 7, which is exciting. I enjoy spending quality<br />
time with her. We are looking forward to our wedding; it is<br />
going to be a big one in Cleveland with a huge wedding<br />
party of 24 people!<br />
I am from a large, blended family and love all my siblings<br />
to pieces. I find joy in getting to be an auntie to my nieces<br />
and nephews. Watching them grow up and being able to<br />
provide them with experiences that my siblings and I did<br />
not have as a kid is satisfying.<br />
What’s the mantra that keeps you on track?<br />
Say what I mean, mean what I say. I came in open<br />
minded, the Academy sells itself with the level of<br />
academics, college acceptance, etc. and my goal is to<br />
continue in the MVA tradition of achieving excellence.<br />
What’s your favorite quote?<br />
It’s not really a quote but a saying, “It can always be<br />
worse.” My bad days are someone’s nightmares. I’m<br />
fortunate – I wake up with everything I need, and I never<br />
take things for granted.<br />
What’s your kryptonite?<br />
Candy – I can’t refuse candy. I have it everywhere, in<br />
drawers, pockets, everywhere. Sour Patch Kids, Twizzlers,<br />
Heath Bars – you name it, I just love candy.<br />
We wish Coach Jennings and the girls basketball program<br />
continued success.<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 23
24 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong><br />
Francisco Lindor ʼ11
FRANCISCO LINDOR<br />
PAYS IT FORWARD<br />
By Andrea Colby, Director of Communications<br />
He has the nickname of Mr. Smiles in his professional life as an All-Star baseball<br />
shortshop and superstar for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. That easy<br />
smile is a hallmark of Francisco Lindor (’11) who calls Montverde Academy a second<br />
home as he often returns to campus to cheer on the baseball team and catch up with<br />
his family.<br />
Earlier this year, Francisco further demonstrated his<br />
dedication to MVA by making a $1 million donation to<br />
MVA’s Time to Lead Campaign for the construction of<br />
a new, state-of-the-art Middle School building. Lindor<br />
Hall, named to honor his gift, is an exciting addition to<br />
the MVA campus. He also established the Francisco<br />
Lindor Scholarship Fund to provide selected current and<br />
prospective students financial assistance to help offset the<br />
cost of tuition.<br />
“Montverde Academy played an important role in my life<br />
and is a special place for me,” said Lindor. “By leaving<br />
Puerto Rico and coming to the Academy, I definitely<br />
grew up and became a man through my experience<br />
here. The education I received and the confidence, work<br />
ethic, and character I developed and strengthened as a<br />
student, helped shape me. I’m thankful for the blessings<br />
the Lord has bestowed on my family and me. I’m grateful<br />
to have the opportunity to pay it forward. I know Middle<br />
School students and teachers will benefit from this new<br />
building, and hope this gift helps provide the same strong<br />
foundation for future students that it gave me.”<br />
“In much the same way today, Francisco’s smile and<br />
inviting personality have always been memorable,” said<br />
Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring, Head of School. “By nature, he is<br />
a committed and loyal person. Given his talent at a young<br />
age, he had numerous opportunities to go elsewhere<br />
to pursue his passion for baseball, but he remained<br />
committed to Montverde Academy and was always<br />
grateful for the opportunity he had to earn his education<br />
here. He began paying it forward shortly after being<br />
drafted with a pledge commitment to name the baseball<br />
field, Lindor Field. As his career advanced, Francisco and<br />
I had a number of conversations regarding his interest in<br />
doing something to support students and the academic<br />
community. When the new Middle School project came<br />
online, it was an immediate interest for him, but he<br />
also wanted to expand on that to provide scholarship<br />
opportunities for families with demonstrated need to<br />
support their children’s education at MVA. Francisco has<br />
“stepped up to the plate” in a transformational way and his<br />
contributions are of seismic importance to MVA.”<br />
The second youngest of five siblings, Francisco arrived<br />
at MVA as a 12-year-old boarding student from Caguas,<br />
Puerto Rico speaking very little English. He used to write<br />
“I don’t understand English” on his hand to show teachers<br />
and students as a way to communicate. In his second<br />
year, his father, stepmother and youngest sibling moved to<br />
Clermont so he became a day student, enjoying a typical<br />
high school experience for a student-athlete at MVA.<br />
“My first year at MVA was challenging and very interesting.<br />
The language made it challenging as I didn’t speak<br />
English well and all of the classes were in English. I went<br />
to school in the middle of nowhere, it was surrounded by<br />
lots of pine and orange trees. I was meeting new people<br />
from all over the world and there’s a language barrier that<br />
forces you to find a way to communicate. All the faculty<br />
Francisco Lindor ʼ11<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 25
The education I received and<br />
the confidence, work ethic<br />
and character I developed and<br />
strengthened as a student,<br />
helped shape me...(I) hope this<br />
gift helps provide the same<br />
strong foundation for future<br />
students that it gave me.<br />
Francisco Lindor ʼ11<br />
members helped me so much to embrace the community<br />
and environment of the school to become a gentleman,<br />
ready for high school preparing for the real world. Being<br />
able to learn the language here was very good – it worked<br />
out well. For the longest time it was my home, it definitely<br />
helped me become the man I am today,” said Francisco.<br />
“I remember him at that age – a lanky student, maybe 80<br />
pounds soaking wet, who was always smiling,” said Mr.<br />
Andrew Parks, who was Dean of the Middle School when<br />
Francisco arrived at MVA. “Francisco worked very hard<br />
learning English and in all of his classes. The separation<br />
from his family was a struggle as they are a lovely and<br />
close-knit family. His dad, Miguel, is one of the kindest<br />
people you’ll ever meet. As the baseball coach at the<br />
time, we had a sense that Francisco had the talent and<br />
drive to be something special. He would be out practicing<br />
in the heat of a Florida summer, doing sprints, batting,<br />
fielding – he was always the hardest worker and a standout<br />
that scouts noticed even when he was a freshman<br />
and sophomore.”<br />
“Francisco took some convincing to focus on learning<br />
English, but once he realized the value the language<br />
had toward reaching his goal, he put the time and effort<br />
in,” said Ms. Jeanette Nevrdeen, who was his English as<br />
Second Language (ESL) teacher. “He struggled a bit in<br />
those first months with the culture shock, being away from<br />
home and not knowing English, it wasn’t easy, but as he<br />
saw his friends progressing, he had to look deeper to find<br />
his inner drive. Once he found that motivation, he began<br />
to thrive, gaining skills and developing a balance between<br />
the academics and athletics. It’s great to see him give<br />
back to our students and MVA to make the world better.”<br />
Lindor Hall<br />
MVA attracted other members of Francisco’s family. Mrs.<br />
Legna Lindor Lebron, his sister, has been a part of the<br />
MVA family since 2012, when she began working in MVA’s<br />
After Care program. She has held a number of positions<br />
and is now the Middle School Spanish teacher. Her three<br />
children attend MVA, with Edian, her oldest son, a senior<br />
in the Class of <strong>2021</strong> and a baseball player, like his uncle.<br />
“The Academy has been an answer to many of our<br />
family’s prayers,” said Mrs. Lindor Lebron. “I had seen the<br />
impact that MVA had on my brother. I remember our first<br />
visit was for Francisco’s graduation and we were in shock<br />
when we saw the campus. He had worked so hard to earn<br />
what he had – and we don’t take it for granted. God is very<br />
important to our family and we have a responsibility to<br />
give back. The Lord provided MVA as a way for Francisco<br />
to achieve his dream and that connection is very important<br />
to our family.”<br />
“Making the decision to go away was really hard for<br />
Francisco. He was homesick, the academic expectations<br />
were tough and the language was hard because there<br />
were not many Spanish speaking students at that time.<br />
We kept reassuring him, telling him to keep going, don’t<br />
give up and hold on to your dreams. Your struggles will<br />
help you be an example for those who follow – and now<br />
he’s able to give back and through the scholarships, help<br />
others the way that MVA helped him,” she said.<br />
His language skills improved and he adapted to the rules<br />
and rigor of life at MVA while also continuing to improve<br />
on the baseball field. Mr. Warren Delmolino, who retired<br />
26 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
after 30 years of service at MVA, recalls living across<br />
from the baseball field and seeing Francisco out there<br />
working. He was always the last one at the field or one<br />
of four who showed up for morning voluntary workout<br />
sessions in the Roberts Gym weight room, according to<br />
Mr. Steve Hand, fourth-grade teacher and former MVA<br />
assistant baseball coach.<br />
“It would be Francisco and Noel Cuevas ’11 who’d show<br />
up,” said Mr. Hand. “He was a wiry freshman who maybe<br />
didn’t stand out in a lineup, but then he’d rise above the<br />
highest level of competition on the field that scouts would<br />
notice. Francisco always had above-average fielding<br />
skills and could shift into an extra gear to execute plays<br />
that shouldn’t be made at the high school level. He was<br />
a leader and well-liked by his teammates. He loves<br />
competition and will beat anyone out there by a step or<br />
three – he wouldn’t embarrass you as he’s humble, but<br />
he’s not going to lose! I’ve seen him play professionally<br />
and he continues to be as gracious and kind as he was<br />
as a student. It’s fulfilling to see a student-athlete you’ve<br />
coached achieve a dream.”<br />
“I definitely grew up and became a man at MVA – at<br />
a young age as a boarding student there, I had to be<br />
accountable for myself,” said Francisco. “There were<br />
rules I had to go by. Basic things like wearing the uniform,<br />
having the right shoes on or being clean shaven, there<br />
were rules here that were different from being at home<br />
in Puerto Rico – you’d get hours for breaking the rules. I<br />
remember Mrs. Parks in study hall, who had protected me<br />
at MVA, gave me a warning, then gave me hours when<br />
I broke a rule and that made me mad! I didn’t talk to her<br />
for a couple of days I was so mad. Looking back now, it<br />
was part of the discipline and structure that you learn as<br />
a student which helps you as an adult in a career. That<br />
process helped me in a sense where the mistakes like<br />
not following the rules turned into hours, which for me as<br />
a kid was hard – but in life it can be a much harder thing.<br />
You tell the truth – so if I did something, even though I was<br />
going to get in trouble or lose something, I have to tell the<br />
truth and take responsibility for my actions and own my<br />
mistake, no matter the consequence. It prepared me for<br />
the real world, to be a man where you are accountable.”<br />
Throughout his high school career, scouts asked about<br />
him. His ability to switch hit and outstanding fielding<br />
ability led him to an opportunity to participate in the<br />
USA Baseball’s National team representing Montverde<br />
Academy and Puerto Rico. “Playing for the USA team<br />
was an honor and a privilege, to represent my country<br />
and have so much pride in the name that was on the front<br />
of my jersey – it was huge. I had that presence of mind<br />
where I’m not just representing myself and my family, I’m<br />
representing something bigger than myself, that helped<br />
me stay focused on the task.”<br />
In his senior year, the scouts came out in droves. For one<br />
particular game against the Arlington Country Day School,<br />
nearly 100 scouts came out to see Francisco and Javier<br />
Báez, also from Puerto Rico and MLB Chicago Cubs<br />
shortstop, compete. “Having all the scouts here during my<br />
senior year, it was an eye-opener. You quickly learn how<br />
to deal with pressure and adversity because I was at the<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 27
highest stage of the moment with so many scouts looking<br />
at me to invest in my future – so you have to do things the<br />
right way. If things didn’t go my way, I had to bounce back,<br />
continue to look forward and stay focused on the task to<br />
impress those scouts who were going to affect my future. I<br />
couldn’t pout and throw in the flag to give up, I believe you<br />
have to continue rising to the occasion,” said Francisco.<br />
He earned a full-ride scholarship from Florida State<br />
University to play on the Seminoles baseball team<br />
and was the eighth draft pick in the first round by the<br />
Cleveland Indians in the 2011 MLB Draft. He signed with<br />
the Indians, spent four years playing for a number of<br />
teams in the Minor League, making to the active roster on<br />
June 14, 2015. He earned the American League Rookie of<br />
the Month Award for September and placed second for the<br />
AL Rookie of the Year Award.<br />
That following year, Francisco had a fantastic season with<br />
his first trip to the MLB World Series, which ended in a<br />
heart-breaking 7-8 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He finished<br />
the 2016 season with a .301 batting average, 15 home<br />
runs, 78 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, 15 sacrifice flies (leading<br />
the majors), and 30 doubles in 158 games for the Indians.<br />
He earned Gold Glove and Platinum Glove Awards, broke<br />
records and earned the This Year in Baseball Award for<br />
Best Defensive Player.<br />
Amidst the baseball season, Legna was diagnosed with<br />
cancer. “We’re a very close family and I wanted to tell<br />
him, but was so torn because I didn’t want him to worry<br />
about me. We love him no matter what and we keep him<br />
humble – he still needs to do his dishes! So when I did tell<br />
him, I said, ‘You keep fighting on the field and I will keep<br />
fighting here to recover. The Lord is testing us and our<br />
Francisco Lindor has made an<br />
indelible mark on Montverde<br />
Academy. He was special on<br />
the baseball field and in our<br />
community, with a tremendous<br />
work ethic, an infectious smile<br />
and grace towards others<br />
that we see continuing in his<br />
professional life. His donation<br />
sends a strong message to<br />
everyone that academics will<br />
always come first.<br />
Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring<br />
faith, and I know everything will be ok.’ I got news of being<br />
cancer-free the same day as Game Seven of the World<br />
Series, which made the day bittersweet. We were on the<br />
phone together when I rang the bell at the hospital with<br />
the cancer-free news.”<br />
Francisco and Katia, his fiancé, have a home near the<br />
Academy and have welcomed a daughter, Kalina, to<br />
their family. The commitment to family and giving back is<br />
always a driving force in his life, which led him to make<br />
Students in the new science lab in Lindor Hall<br />
28 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
Francisco at MVA<br />
Francisco with the Mets<br />
a significant gift to MVA and continue mentoring studentathletes<br />
on the Eagles baseball team.<br />
“The connection I have with the students is great. The<br />
Scholarship Fund is a great way for me to mentor them<br />
and help them with support for tuition. I hope to be a<br />
mentor for students, to see me as a friend and resource<br />
that can help them with anything, not just at MVA but when<br />
they get older, that they can call or text me to get in touch<br />
to seek advice, that brotherly advice. MVA has been great<br />
for me and my family. To give and give back to the school<br />
and to the students and help them and serve as a mentor<br />
for them, it’s very special,” said Francisco.<br />
In 2018, MVA Eagles baseball was on its way to an<br />
undefeated season when Francisco took his mentoring<br />
seriously. “I was looking to motivate the team. I wanted<br />
to push them, to let them know that I was right there with<br />
them and they were not alone,” he said. He made a bet<br />
with the team that if they went undefeated, he would<br />
let them cut, well shave, his hair. It worked like a charm<br />
and the team went on to 25-0 season. And Francisco<br />
graciously showed up at a school assembly, clippers in<br />
hand, to settle the bet with the teenagers.<br />
“I was hoping they would give me a one cut not a zero cut<br />
because I have to look good, I’m a professional athlete, I<br />
can’t be looking crazy. But they’re kids so they took off the<br />
one and gave me a zero. It’s only hair, so I was like ‘Ok<br />
guys!’ It was quite a moment. They did a great job when<br />
presented with that reward, I knew they would achieve it.”<br />
Francisco shared this advice with MVA students: “Always<br />
believe in yourself. Life is a process and each day is a<br />
day closer to reaching your goals. Look back to reflect on<br />
things you have done and to make sure that you move<br />
forward with your goals. Trust in yourself, trust in the<br />
faculty and staff here, they work every day to help and<br />
motivate you to work hard and make you a better person<br />
and a better student so you can prepare yourself for the<br />
real world.”<br />
“Francisco Lindor has made an indelible mark on<br />
Montverde Academy. He was special on the baseball<br />
field and in our community, with a tremendous work<br />
ethic, an infectious smile and grace towards others that<br />
we see continuing in his professional life. His donation<br />
sends a strong message to everyone that academics<br />
will always come first. Education is lifelong, and a sports<br />
career has an expiration date. This gift from Francisco is<br />
not surprising because he has always been selfless and<br />
humble. He sees the value of what the Academy instilled<br />
in him and is generously giving for a lasting impact on<br />
others,” said Dr. Kesselring.<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 29
Kindergarten Graduation<br />
1 2 3<br />
6<br />
4<br />
5<br />
1. Kindergarten Performance<br />
2. Annabel Wojnowski<br />
3. Mrs. Shirley and Eleanor Vidal<br />
8<br />
4. Indigo Napoles, Luca Potempa and Priscilla<br />
Quindemil<br />
5. Mrs. Sinopoli and Christian Darrabie<br />
6. Aaleyah Mitchell and Sydney Carter<br />
7. Harry Anderson, Matteo Burgos-Valentin,<br />
Kaylee Burke<br />
8. Aaleyah Mitchell<br />
9. Luca Potempa<br />
7<br />
9<br />
30 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
5th grade Graduation<br />
3<br />
1 2<br />
4<br />
5 6 7<br />
1. Mrs. Dougherty and Lilia Becker<br />
2. Dr. Kesselring, Edielys Negron, Ms. Shackelford<br />
3. Mrs. Dougherty and Aedan Rock-Rodriquez<br />
4. Salvatore Scelfo<br />
5. Mrs. Meder and Roman Kelly<br />
6. Mrs. Meder and Jordan Jackson<br />
7. Ian Negron and Brianna Ramski<br />
8. Fifth Grade Performance<br />
8<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 31
LOWER SCHOOL<br />
Teacher of the Year<br />
Saliesha Meder<br />
By Lauren Dougherty, Lower School Teacher<br />
Saliesha Meder with her family<br />
You never know when a door will open that will change<br />
your life. For me, it was on a tour with Mrs. Jayne<br />
Beucher, Associate Dean of the Lower School, when I<br />
was interviewing for a position to be a fifth-grade teacher<br />
at the Lower School. It was during the tour that the door<br />
opened. Mrs. Saliesha Meder, Lower School Teacher of<br />
the Year, popped out of a math workshop to introduce<br />
herself and have a word. Standing in front of me was this<br />
amazing woman radiating such a passion for education<br />
and who shared a viewpoint so similar to mine that I<br />
secretly hoped she’d be the next person with whom I<br />
would have the privilege to teach with, learn from, and<br />
grow alongside. Mrs. Beucher literally had to pry us apart<br />
to continue the tour.<br />
When the school year started, I quickly learned that<br />
working with children is in Mrs. Meder’s blood. Watching<br />
her exceptional ability to connect with students is a<br />
lesson in celebrating unique characteristics and going<br />
the distance to give those outliers the recognition of how<br />
valued each and every learner is in her classroom. She<br />
is fun, and yet creates mutual respect not only between<br />
herself and her students, but on a peer-to-peer level,<br />
as well. She enjoys sharing her love and expertise in<br />
science, complimenting Mrs. Whiffen’s lessons in her<br />
own classroom. Additionally, she makes American history<br />
come alive using historical fiction with novels such as<br />
Blood on the River and Tolivier’s Secret.<br />
and daughter Jenna’s MVA Eagles’ softball games. In<br />
addition, you might recognize her at one of Jenna’s travel<br />
team games as the one blasting music for the Vipers with<br />
each player having their own song when they are up at<br />
bat. Her husband Sean rounds out this family of purple<br />
and gold.<br />
Saliesha always puts in 110 percent, but over the past<br />
two years, she did a bit more. Earning her Master<br />
of Education degree in Feb. 2019, she took on the<br />
challenge of completing the Master Teacher Program<br />
which has been established to recognize teachers who<br />
display the qualities and characteristics of exemplary<br />
educators. It’s no surprise she was awarded the title<br />
Master Teacher.<br />
It is an honor to work with this exceptional teacher,<br />
team member, role model and friend. It’s no wonder<br />
her colleagues voted her Teacher of the Year. Not only<br />
did she open a door and share her heart for education<br />
with me when we met, she opens her classroom<br />
and her passion to her students every single day.<br />
Congratulations, Mrs. Saliesha Meder, <strong>2021</strong> MVA Lower<br />
School Teacher of the Year.<br />
A Florida native, Saliesha is a graduate of University<br />
of Central Florida and began teaching at Windermere<br />
Elementary followed by Lake Whitney Elementary.<br />
Joining Montverde Academy’s Lower School in 2015,<br />
she is an MVA Eagle to the core. With two children<br />
attending MVA, she has been a regular sight at robotics<br />
competitions for her son Trevor, a <strong>2021</strong> MVA graduate<br />
32 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
Lindor Hall Ribbon Cutting<br />
DEVELOPMENT UPDATE<br />
By Mary-Kay Rath, Executive Director of the Arts Alliance<br />
It’s official - the doors to Lindor Hall have opened to our<br />
Middle School students. The two-story, 42,995 squarefoot<br />
Middle School houses 16 classrooms, three science<br />
labs, a study hall, commons room, performance stage,<br />
gymnasium, and more!<br />
Giving is not just about<br />
making a donation. It’s about<br />
making a difference.<br />
Kathy Calvin<br />
Middle School students have unique needs. Lindor<br />
Hall provides an environment that sparks curiosity and<br />
creativity while equipping students with access to tools and resources to confidently become active participants in<br />
their Middle School community. Lindor Hall also meets the needs of the entire Montverde Academy community – from<br />
Pre-K3 - 12 grade. As MVA has grown in all divisions, sharing facility space is necessary to ensure appropriate activity<br />
space to accommodate all the extra-curricular programming offered. The completion of Lindor Hall has ensured<br />
that everyone has dedicated facility space. Middle School performers now have their own stage for rehearsals<br />
and performances and Middle School athletes now have their own courts for Volleyball and Basketball practices<br />
and games. This new facility reduces the load on our other existing facilities and frees up space allowing for more<br />
opportunities across the board for everyone!<br />
Four years after launching our Time to Lead Campaign, we have raised $3.3 million, 55 percent, of our $6 million goal.<br />
Combined contributions and pledges, including a $1 million gift from Francisco Lindor ’11, and donations from MVA<br />
families, alumni, staff, Trustees, and friends of the Academy continue to contribute to this effort, including our most<br />
recent gifts from the 2020-21 Arts Alliance and Athletic Booster Club.<br />
This is your chance to partner in our future leaders’ success by giving to our Time to Lead campaign. Naming<br />
opportunities are available to acknowledge the generous investment made by donors and their commitment to<br />
the success of all MVA students. Visit montverde.org/support-mva-time-to-lead/ to donate today or contact the<br />
Development Office for more information.<br />
Remaining Naming Opportunities<br />
Middle School Gymnasium - $500,000<br />
Gymnasium Scoreboard - $50,000<br />
Science Lab - $75,000<br />
Classrooms - $50,000<br />
Concession/Cafe Area - $25,000<br />
Conference Room - $25,000<br />
Locker Room (Boys) - $25,000<br />
Locker Room (Girls) - $25,000<br />
Teacher’s Lounge First Floor - $25,000<br />
Study Hall/Commons Room - $25,000<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 33
MIDDLE SCHOOL<br />
Teacher of the Year<br />
Dr. Caryn Long<br />
By Scott Werner, Middle School Science Teacher<br />
Dr. Rachel Adams, Dr. Caryn Long, Paul Quick<br />
A world-class science department requires expertise,<br />
collaboration, and dedication. It requires teachers that<br />
go above and beyond the call of the classroom to make<br />
science interactive, engaging, and meaningful. A key<br />
element ever-present is educators with passion. Dr.<br />
Caryn Long embodies every one of these characteristics<br />
and then some. I am honored to learn from and<br />
collaborate with such a consummate professional. Her<br />
consistent and relentless pursuit of excellence from her<br />
students is inspiring. She builds relationships with the<br />
science community at large to enhance each child's<br />
Montverde Academy experience and knowledge base.<br />
She is the epitome of Eagle Spirit and the MVA vision.<br />
“This year's Teacher of the Year award goes to<br />
someone who has been described as igniting passion,<br />
inspiring exploration, instilling eagerness for learning,<br />
and challenging yet equipping students to meet those<br />
challenges,ˮ said Mr. Paul Quick, Dean of the<br />
Middle School.<br />
Dr. Long has formed strong relationships with the<br />
science community that continue to enhance the learning<br />
experience in her classroom. Back in February, Dr. Long<br />
virtually brought the NASA Mars Rover to class as her<br />
sixth-grade students learned more about the engineering<br />
design process and participated in activities related to<br />
the mission. Her students also had the ability to engage<br />
in virtual presentations with Mr. Lyle Tavernier, Education<br />
Specialist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in<br />
Pasadena, California, to learn more about the capsule<br />
that would enter the Mars atmosphere.<br />
“One quote comes to mind when I think of her class –<br />
ʻTake chances, make mistakes, and get messy!ʼ - Ms.<br />
Frizzle,ˮ said Ms. Joslyn Roberts-Judy, Middle School<br />
Science Teacher. “Dr. Long amplifies the importance of<br />
the scientific process for our Middle School students as<br />
they transition from the Lower School. She does it in a<br />
way that encourages their intrigue through observation.<br />
We’re lucky to have someone with her skill set on our<br />
Middle School science team.ˮ<br />
“Dr. Long is both an amazing person and an amazing<br />
teacher,ˮ said Ms. Loula Parks, Middle School Social<br />
Studies Teacher and Innovation Hour specialist. “She<br />
shares her passion for science with her students<br />
generously and with her background she is able to<br />
share connections to NASA and other organizations<br />
with which she has had long-standing commitments to<br />
and relationships. She has her students researching,<br />
investigating, and adding to the scientific body of<br />
knowledge by reporting some of their findings almost<br />
immediately. She is a star in every sense of the word,<br />
bringing energy and light to her students and colleagues<br />
alike. She is loved here.ˮ<br />
Dr. Long isn't just a science teacher, but an active<br />
member of the MVA community and can often be seen<br />
sporting her Outerspace-inspired wardrobe around<br />
campus, proving that science isn't just a passion, but a<br />
way of life.<br />
“When I came to Montverde Academy a couple of years<br />
ago, it was a dream come true,ˮ said Dr. Long in her<br />
acceptance speech. “It is easy to be inspired, not only<br />
by the amazing students that we have the privilege<br />
of teaching, but to have such a phenomenal group of<br />
colleagues that inspire you every single day. They are not<br />
only colleagues, but they are also family and they make<br />
me want to come to work every day. By far, they are the<br />
best group of people that I have ever worked with.ˮ<br />
34 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
Student’s Artwork<br />
Wins Silver Award<br />
in Toyota’s National<br />
Dream Car Contest<br />
By Andrea, Colby, Director of Communications<br />
Montverde Academy is extremely proud to announce<br />
Jiawei (Jery) Chen, an eighth-grade student, has had her<br />
drawing, “Fly Higher with Toyota,” earn a Silver Award<br />
in Age Category 3 (youth, ages 12-15 years old) of<br />
Toyota’s Dream Car Contest, and also won the inaugural<br />
Petersen Prestige Award. She is one of nine U.S. youth<br />
winners that goes on to the World Competition, where<br />
her work will be judged against artwork entries by youth<br />
from nearly 90 countries.<br />
“Fly Higher with Toyota” by Jery Chen<br />
“In addition to being a well-executed artwork with a<br />
remarkable composition, the museum selected Chen’s design because it aligns with our efforts to celebrate the past,<br />
present, and future of the automobile. Her vehicles harken to automobile design of the 1950s, yet she brings them into<br />
the future, imagining a world of eco-friendly flying cars,” said Autumn Nyiri, associate curator, Petersen Automotive<br />
Museum.<br />
“Creating art makes me happy,” said Jery. “I’ve been doing art since I was four-years-old. It allows me to express<br />
my ideas visually and share my happiness with others. I wanted to create a car that was innovative in a healthy<br />
environment. I made the car yellow, which is colorful, exciting and expressive - shining into the future. I love to create. I<br />
enjoying drawing and sewing, and hope to have my own clothing line or to become an animator.”<br />
Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan held the first worldwide contest in 2004, with nearly 90 countries now hosting their<br />
own national contests. Now in its 10th year, the Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest is designed to inspire creativity in<br />
youth and imagine the future of mobility, according to the Toyota Dream Car USA website. The three-round competitive<br />
selection process of the contest allows for careful review over time to determine the winners. After assessing eligible<br />
entries and judging based on artistry, uniqueness, and execution of concept, U.S. Semi-Finalists are selected in the first<br />
round (this year, 30 each for two age categories, 40 for the remaining one). The second-round resulted in the selection<br />
of U.S. Finalists (this year, a total of 31). This year, the third round involves a panel of 12 national judges who choose<br />
the nine U.S. winners.<br />
Jery’s artwork will be displayed in the Petersen Automotive Museum. She will also have the unique opportunity to see<br />
her drawing become three-dimensional. With a unique collaboration involving undergraduate students from California<br />
State University, Dominguez Hills, 3D-printed interpretations of the contest’s award-winning designs.<br />
“We congratulate Jery on earning the Petersen Prestige Award and are so pleased that her artwork has been selected<br />
and recognized by Toyota Motor Corporation,” said Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring, Montverde Academy Head of School. “The<br />
Arts are an important part of Montverde Academy’s curriculum that encourages students to stretch their creativity, think<br />
in imaginative ways and express themselves through artistic exploration. We congratulate Jery on her achievement.”<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 35
MVA in the NCAA<br />
TOURNAMENT<br />
By Andrea Colby, Director of Communications<br />
There are almost eight million students who<br />
currently participate in high school athletics<br />
across the United States according to the<br />
National Collegiate Athletic Association<br />
(NCAA). From there, only about 480,000<br />
student-athletes go on to play sports at the<br />
collegiate level in the NCAA.<br />
17<br />
MVA Alumni in the Men’s<br />
Basketball Tournament<br />
2<br />
MVA Alumni in the Women’s<br />
Basketball Tournament<br />
28<br />
MVA Alumni in the Men’s<br />
Soccer Tournament<br />
2<br />
MVA Alumni in the Women’s<br />
Soccer Tournament<br />
Cade Cunningham ’20<br />
36 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
We are extremely excited to<br />
have had 17 former Eagle<br />
players competing in the<br />
NCAA Tournament. That’s<br />
more than top college<br />
basketball programs have!<br />
Kevin Boyle, Head Coach<br />
MVA experiences a higher than average number of<br />
student-athletes who play sports in college. In the<br />
class of <strong>2021</strong>,70 of our student-athletes will go on to<br />
play sports in college. This year, MVA had more than<br />
40 student-athletes competing for championship titles<br />
in men’s and women’s basketball and soccer. For the<br />
men, there were 17 basketball players on 14 different<br />
teams, with three former Eagles in the final game; 28<br />
soccer players also on 14 different teams with three<br />
in the final game. There were two alumni in women’s<br />
basketball (Kseniia Kozlova ’20 and Ramani Parker<br />
’19) and two in soccer (Jody Brown ’20 and Vivienne<br />
Bessette ’20) competing.<br />
Sports came to a halt last year due to COVID-19, so<br />
this year’s NCAA Tournaments lacked fans as part<br />
of the ongoing safety protocols instituted nationwide,<br />
but certainly didn’t lack the excitement. There were<br />
unexpected upsets and amazing shots during the<br />
annual basketball tournament’s March Madness, such<br />
as the one that took Gonzaga to the final game, but all<br />
of MVA’s former players had outstanding performances.<br />
“We were extremely excited to have had 17 former<br />
Eagle players competing in the NCAA Tournament,”<br />
said Kevin Boyle, Head Coach. “That’s more than top<br />
college basketball programs have! It’s an achievement<br />
that we’re incredibly proud of and is a testament to<br />
the hard work and dedication our players have to their<br />
sport. Because of our previous success, we attract very<br />
good players and pride ourselves on getting studentathletes<br />
to meet and exceed expectations as players<br />
and as student-athletes.”<br />
The women’s basketball tournament was just as<br />
exciting, though Kseniia’s team was eliminated in the<br />
first round. Ramani’s Cardinals made it to the Elite<br />
Eight, falling to Stanford.<br />
BASKETBALL<br />
Scottie Barnes ’20 – Florida State University<br />
Darnell Brodie ’18 – Drake University<br />
Devante Carter ’17 – Norfolk State University<br />
Cade Cunningham ’20 – Oklahoma State University<br />
Odri Dedolli ’17 – Mount St. Mary’s<br />
Mike Devoe ’18 – Georgia Tech<br />
Zeb Jackson ’20 – University of Michigan<br />
Balsa Koprivica ’19 – Florida State University<br />
Moses Moody ’20 – University of Arkansas<br />
Andrew Nembhard ’18 – Gonzaga University<br />
Omar Payne ’19 – University of Florida<br />
Micah Potter ’16 – University of Wisconsin<br />
DayRon Sharpe ’20 – University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill<br />
MaCio Teague ’16 – Baylor University<br />
Morris Udeze ’18 – Wichita State University<br />
Trevin Wade ’18 – Wichita State University<br />
Pavel Zakharov ’19 – Gonzaga University<br />
Scottie Barnes ’20<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 37
Andrew Nembhard ’18<br />
Ramani Parker ’19<br />
There is no greater feeling<br />
than seeing your hard work<br />
payoff and land you an<br />
opportunity to compete<br />
in an NCAA tournament.<br />
I am so happy for our two<br />
alumni Kseniia and Ramani,<br />
who were both fortunate<br />
enough to make the NCAA<br />
tournament this year. It is so<br />
great for our current young<br />
ladies to see alumni being<br />
successful in college because<br />
the majority of our team<br />
aspires to play at that level.<br />
Special Jennings, Girls Basketball Head Coach<br />
Kseniia Kozlova ’20<br />
38 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
SOCCER<br />
Rodrigo Almeida ʼ18 – University of Pittsburgh<br />
Vinicius Belon ʼ20 – University of Pittsburgh<br />
Olivier Correa ʼ20 – Jacksonville University<br />
Pablo Diaz ʼ19 – Missouri State University<br />
Hamady Diop ʼ20 – Clemson University<br />
Matt Douglass ʼ18 – University of Central Florida<br />
Lucca Dourado ʼ20 – University of Central Florida<br />
Enrique Facusse ʼ17 – University of Kentucky<br />
Jose Facusse ʼ18 – Seton Hall University<br />
Jahlane Forbes – Wake Forest University<br />
Emmanuel Hagan ʼ20 – University of North Carolina, Greensboro<br />
Adam Kiernan ʼ19 – Marshall University<br />
Diogenes Kinyua ʼ19 – Virginia Tech<br />
Edward Kizza ʼ17, first round <strong>2021</strong> MLS Draft Pick – University of<br />
Pittsburgh<br />
Richard LaPointe ʼ20 – Jacksonville University<br />
Kameron Lacey ʼ19 – University of North Carolina Charlotte<br />
Xavier Laneuville ʼ19 – St. Francis College, Brooklyn<br />
Peter Mangione – Pennsylvania State University<br />
Justin Malou ʼ17 – Clemson University<br />
Philip Mayaka ʼ19, first round <strong>2021</strong> MLS Draft Pick – Clemson<br />
University<br />
Joao Pedro Souza ʼ19 – Marshall University<br />
Anderson Rosa ʼ20 – University of Central Florida<br />
Soshun Shigaki ʼ20 – University of Pittsburgh<br />
Gabriel Simoneau ʼ19 – Jacksonville University<br />
Gabe Sitler ʼ19 – Marshall University<br />
Ousmane Sylla ʼ20 – Clemson University<br />
Jackson Walti ʼ18 – University of Pittsburgh<br />
Welnilton Junior ʼ20 – Virginia Tech<br />
Emmanuel Hagan’20<br />
The men’s soccer tournament had Clemson University<br />
chosen as the No. 1 seed, which had four former SIMA<br />
players, including Philip Mayaka, MLS first round <strong>2021</strong><br />
Draft Pick. The Tigers had a great year, winning the<br />
ACC Championship match to automatically qualify<br />
for their 33rd NCAA Tournament. The University of<br />
Pittsburgh started the 2020 season with five MVA alumni<br />
including scoring sensation Edward Kizza, also a first<br />
round MLS draft pick. Three other conference champion<br />
rosters have three SIMA alumni, from American Athletic<br />
Conference Champions University of Central Florida<br />
(UCF), to Jacksonville University the A-SUN Conference<br />
Champions, and Marshall University the Conference USA<br />
Champions.<br />
“This is historic for the SIMA program and a testament to<br />
everything we value,” said Mike Potempa, SIMA Director.<br />
“We believe that focusing on education and sport to<br />
provide opportunity is a powerful formula for long-term<br />
success. Having 28 alumni, playing across 14 different<br />
NCAA Division I Programs in the National Tournament is<br />
outstanding, and continues to set the standard for current<br />
SIMA student-athletes who work hard to achieve similar<br />
milestones. We wish our alumni continued success.”<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 39
Having 28 alumni playing<br />
across 14 different NCAA<br />
Division I programs in the<br />
National Tournament is<br />
outstanding and continues<br />
to set the standard for<br />
current SIMA studentathletes<br />
who work hard to<br />
achieve similar milestones.<br />
Mike Potempa, SIMA Director<br />
Edward Kizza ’18<br />
Lucca Dourado ’20<br />
Olivier Correa’20<br />
40 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
The women’s soccer tournament featured Florida State<br />
University as the No. 1 seed, which had Jody Brown ’20,<br />
FIFA 2018 World Cup Jamaica player.<br />
“Both Jody and Vivianne were integral pieces to our<br />
MIFC program over the last three years. We anticipated<br />
both would have a great college year. Both players were<br />
fortunate to win conference championships as well as<br />
conference tournament championships.<br />
Jody was able to reach the championship game in the<br />
NCAA tournament and Vivianne reached the 2nd round.<br />
We are proud how far both players have become and are<br />
excited for their future” said Robbie Aristodemo, Director<br />
of MIFC.<br />
Jody Brown ’20<br />
Both Jody and Vivianne<br />
were integral pieces to<br />
our MIFC program over<br />
the last three years. We<br />
anticipated both would<br />
have a great college year.<br />
Robbie Aristodemo, MIFC Director<br />
Vivienne Bissette ’20<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 41
Sports Wrap Up WINTER & SPRING<br />
By Cole Kellogg, Sports Information Director<br />
GIRLS BASKETBALL<br />
Our girls’ basketball program reached new heights under<br />
Coach Jennings and Coach Adams, earning and maintaining<br />
the No. 1 national ranking by MaxPreps for several weeks<br />
during the season. They finished with a 22-2 record,<br />
remaining undefeated on the road with notable wins over<br />
Braden River, Forest Park, American Heritage, and Palm<br />
Bay. The team will graduate four seniors, all committed to<br />
play in college.<br />
BOYS BASKETBALL<br />
Our varsity boys’ basketball team reigns best in the nation<br />
with their GEICO Nationals win over Sunrise Christian 62-<br />
52. The team will graduate six seniors, all with impressive<br />
college prospects. The Center for Basketball Development<br />
(CBD) held their Golden Cup Championship and State vs.<br />
State Championship games. The Rockets, coached by<br />
varsity players Sam Walters, Malik Reneau, and Justice<br />
Williams won their bracket while the Lakers coached by<br />
Jalen Duren and Jalen Hood Schifino were victorious in<br />
the second bracket. Coach Piggott’s State White team won<br />
the State Championship match-up vs. Coach Miller’s State<br />
Purple team.<br />
TRACK AND FIELD<br />
In her swansong season, Coach Lori Treweek led the MVA<br />
Track and Field team to an outstanding finish, with our girls<br />
placing third overall at state and our boys finishing fifth.<br />
The Eagles left the state meet with three individual state<br />
champions in Lily Henne (1600m), Weston Baptiste (400m)<br />
and Alex Georgiev (pole vault). Our female pole vaulters also<br />
finished strong, with senior Kai Eisenhardt nabbing second<br />
and Ashley Conklin placing third. They will graduate seven<br />
seniors and five will compete collegiately.<br />
BEACH VOLLEYBALL<br />
Coach Rico Pereira led a very young team into the season<br />
and came through with some solid wins amidst a tough<br />
schedule. These wins include 4-1 against Lakeland High<br />
School, 3-0 against Foundation Academy, 5-0 over West<br />
Orange High School, and back-to-back wins over Winter<br />
Haven. Senior student-athlete Gianna Carrasco emerged<br />
as the team’s MVP, while Jadyn Langley and Rose Palanti<br />
made huge strides over the season. Senior Alexandra<br />
Lin committed to Hendrix College to continue her beach<br />
volleyball career.<br />
TENNIS<br />
The Tennis Academy hosted their first Universal Tennis<br />
Rating (UTR) event the year. This match-play format<br />
boasted nine MVA student-athlete participants competing<br />
in two different matches against athletes of similar level.<br />
Catharina Schoch, Luiza Patocs, and Adam Townsend all<br />
went undefeated with two wins on the day. The program will<br />
graduate two seniors in Filippo Marangoni and<br />
Gabriela Souza.<br />
BOYS LACROSSE<br />
It was another year of growth for our lacrosse program,<br />
with the boys earning the title of District Champions and<br />
narrowly missing out on a bid to the state tournament. Coach<br />
Chris Spaulding’s team ended the year with a 13-5 record<br />
after putting in admirable performances against the state’s<br />
elite competition. The boys nearly pulled off a whirlwind<br />
comeback against Lake Highland Prep in Regionals, but<br />
time ran out with the Highlanders winning 16-17. The team<br />
graduates six seniors, four will play collegiately.<br />
BASEBALL<br />
The MVA baseball team ended the season 12-7, competing<br />
multiple times against some of the top teams in Florida and<br />
the country. The baseball team graduates six seniors this<br />
year, with two going on to play in college. Congratulations to<br />
Coach Valencia and his team, we look forward to continued<br />
success moving forward!<br />
SOFTBALL<br />
Coach Caitlin Griffis led a young team into the season with<br />
the expectation of patience and growth. In the end, their<br />
10-8 record is very respectable considering three losses<br />
were by fewer than three runs, and five wins came with a<br />
run differential of ten or higher. Two of these wins were over<br />
teams ranked in the top 25 in Florida.<br />
Faith Fournier pitched in all but one game, managing to keep<br />
some of Florida’s top hitters off the bags, while Emerson<br />
Gunkel earned her first varsity strike out and complete game<br />
as just a seventh-grader. Freshman Jenna Meder was an<br />
RBI leader for the team.<br />
Seasoned player, Makayla Navarro got her first high school<br />
career home run this year and led the team in batting<br />
average and stolen bases. Miliani Guzman led the team as<br />
this year’s captain and an RBI leader. And senior Ashleigh<br />
Smith committed to play collegiately to Montreat College.<br />
POWERLIFTING<br />
In his first year as Powerlifting Head Coach, Steven Cerenzio<br />
led his team to the title of Best Overall Team at the USA<br />
Powerlifting Florida State High School Championships. The<br />
Eagles left the event with four gold and two silver medals.<br />
Colby Helms, David Dalia, Oliver Dixon and Barrett Bobilin<br />
earned gold, while CJ Hamlin and Jason Kong earned silver.<br />
EQUESTRIAN<br />
Our Equestrian center fielded a varsity and junior varsity<br />
team featuring 18 riders and competed in a combined 10<br />
events including the first annual Halloween Spectacular<br />
hosted at MVA. Our riders brought home several Champion<br />
and Reserve placements in various events and earned<br />
several personal jump records. The Barn also welcomed<br />
home six new lesson horses for the 27 lesson students in<br />
the program. The Equestrian center also recently created<br />
an Eventing Team that currently has four rides competing in<br />
various events.<br />
42 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
Anjika Andrade Mariana Valenzuela Max Smith<br />
Alex Georgiev<br />
Miliani Guzman<br />
Varsity Boys Basketball Team<br />
Ella Holt<br />
Manuel Retana<br />
CJ Hamlin<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 43
COLLEGE SIGNING DAY<br />
Congratulations to our student-athletes who announced their college decisions during our last Signing Day on May 5,<br />
<strong>2021</strong> bringing our total count to 67 MVA Eagles committing to compete at the collegiate level.<br />
1 2 3 4<br />
8 9 10 11<br />
44 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong><br />
16 17 18
Go Eagles!<br />
5 6<br />
7<br />
12 13 14 15<br />
19 20 21<br />
1. Samuel Odame<br />
2. Giovanna Do Amaral<br />
3. Luc Granitur<br />
4. Preston Matia<br />
5. Zack Semmler<br />
6. Weston Baptiste<br />
7. Maria Myklebust<br />
8. Valentina Ojeda<br />
9. Carlo Controni<br />
10. Darian Mayo<br />
11. Richard Sancio<br />
12. Angel Lopez<br />
13. Isabella Ramirez<br />
14. Quinten Diboundje<br />
Eyobo<br />
15. Artur Corso<br />
16. Matthew Frick<br />
17. Josh Richardson<br />
18. Joao Lucas<br />
Dominici<br />
19. Matis Pilon<br />
St. Louis<br />
20. Chadi Mayati<br />
21. Christian Maciel<br />
22. Ashleigh Smith, not<br />
pictured<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 45
Achievement in<br />
the Arts<br />
By Dean Bell, Director of Arts<br />
46 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong><br />
Cast of “Something Rotten”
Aidan Fracker and Kaylin Gines in “Macbeth”<br />
Choral Cabaret<br />
As I write this article, I felt disillusioned – another article about how we survived,<br />
but thrived, as an Arts program amidst the global pandemic. Certainly, that is at the<br />
forefront of my thoughts as we finish the school year, and I am undeniably proud of the<br />
creativity and innovation in programming and venue selection that allowed the season<br />
to happen. Nevertheless, I could not bring myself to write another article that took us<br />
down that path. Instead, I reshaped my remarks around “achievement” – an obviously<br />
related and more positive theme.<br />
The definition of achievement reads: “a thing done<br />
successfully, typically by effort, courage or skill.”<br />
Let’s begin with the obvious. It is a remarkable<br />
achievement that amidst COVID-19, MVA’s Fine Arts<br />
programs produced an entire season of events, almost<br />
exactly as we imagined it in July 2020. Our combination of<br />
scaled-back casts, virtual performances, outdoor venues,<br />
masking, socially distant staging, quarantining, and safety<br />
plans for face-to-face audiences proved to be right on the<br />
mark and served as an example for other Arts programs’<br />
reimagined productions. I offer the highest praise to staff<br />
who designed and executed plans, students who made<br />
it work and our parents and community who supported<br />
us. The fact that we created 66 nights of events amidst<br />
the uncertainty of this year stands as a beacon to other<br />
Arts institutions who struggle to move forward in this<br />
new normal. The motto of our Music Conservatory has<br />
long been “Obdura: Persist,” which is exactly what this<br />
achievement suggests we have done, and done well.<br />
I am mindful of the achievement of our incredibly skilled<br />
teaching artists who serve as faculty in these programs.<br />
In a year of reinvention, many of us threw out what had<br />
served as absolutes in our instructional pedagogy and<br />
found new ways to engage students whether face-to-face,<br />
hybrid or online. Technology, distance learning, innovative<br />
curriculum and programming, and new techniques to<br />
teach age-old disciplines made each of us step up our<br />
game, while continuing to keep up with professional<br />
careers outside of MVA. I am particularly proud of Ms.<br />
Roberta Emerson, Theatre Director, who established<br />
herself as the Artistic Producing Consultant for Central<br />
Florida Community Arts, and the Associate Artistic Director<br />
for the Garden Theatre. There is little doubt that MVA’s<br />
strong programming and innovation were key qualities in<br />
demonstrating Ms. Emerson’s leadership capabilities to<br />
these remarkable organizations. That the rest of Central<br />
Florida looks to our faculty as leaders in their disciplines<br />
demonstrates the high achievement of our educators.<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 47
Megan Lindberg<br />
Cast of “Something Rotten”<br />
One cannot overlook the contributions of our patrons<br />
– specifically, our Arts Alliance members and Mrs. Mary-<br />
Kay Rath, Arts Alliance Executive Director. In a year filled<br />
with greater financial uncertainty than in recent memory,<br />
we grew our Arts Alliance support base, and provided<br />
significant funding for our programs and infrastructure. Our<br />
patrons continued to make MVA Arts programs a priority<br />
in their giving, which speaks highly to the support of what<br />
we are accomplishing here, and a commitment to continue<br />
to raise MVA’s presence on the state and national stages.<br />
Arts Alliance receptions have become a mainstay of our<br />
events, and with limited seating opportunities, Arts Alliance<br />
members received unequaled access to all our events in<br />
whatever format they appeared. Creating and maintaining<br />
this culture of patronage is indeed an accomplishment.<br />
I feel that our numbers are also an accomplishment:<br />
• 85 percent of Conservatory students earned Honor Roll<br />
recognition each quarter – an average of 19 earning<br />
Summa Cum Laude<br />
• Six Top Honors, 35 Superior ratings, and six Excellent<br />
ratings earned by Theatre students at Regional<br />
International Thespian Society (ITS) Competition<br />
• Two Top Honors, 11 Superior and two Excellent ratings<br />
were received at State ITS Competition<br />
• Three Consecutive years of selection as Mainstage<br />
production for State ITS<br />
• Four Consecutive years winning Top Honors for One Act<br />
at State ITS<br />
• Three of nine State ITS Scholarships awarded to MVA<br />
students<br />
• Nine of nine students submitted for Applause Award<br />
Outstanding Performer consideration advanced to the<br />
live auditions<br />
• One selection as Featured Mainstage selection at<br />
the International Thespian Festival (Top 6 selection<br />
internationally)<br />
• Five Superior with Distinction ratings, 25 Superior<br />
ratings, and six Excellent ratings earned by MVA<br />
musicians at Florida Music Education Association<br />
competition<br />
• 64 audition invitations were extended to our seniors for<br />
colleges across the country<br />
• Twelve of twelve Fine Arts seniors accepted into Fine<br />
Arts colleges to continue pursuing the Arts<br />
• 4,589 views of MVA virtual performances online<br />
• 1,757 face-to-face patrons for our live shows<br />
Lastly, I must highlight the achievement of our seniors.<br />
In an unparalleled audition year, our seniors amassed<br />
64 audition invitations and received 32 acceptances<br />
from top tier colleges nationwide. That all twelve of our<br />
Conservatory seniors intend to pursue a career in the Arts<br />
is an achievement even the elite Arts high schools would<br />
be hard-pressed to top. Given their acceptances, financial<br />
offers, and the quality of the institutions, I would wager<br />
there are few schools producing a stronger class moving<br />
on to the next level in the Arts. This achievement makes<br />
me the proudest. Montverde Academy students will be<br />
leading and shaping the future of Arts programs across<br />
the country for years to come - that is a testament to<br />
everything that has been built on this campus, and we are<br />
inordinately proud.<br />
48 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
Vaasu Gadiparthi<br />
Lower School Performance<br />
The fact that we created<br />
66 nights of events<br />
amidst the uncertainty<br />
of this year stands as<br />
a beacon to other Arts<br />
institutions who struggle<br />
to move forward in this<br />
new normal.<br />
Dean Bell<br />
So, when I reflect on “courage,” I know what<br />
it took to envision, create and execute this<br />
theatre season. When I reflect on “effort,”<br />
I need look no further than our numbers to<br />
see exactly that. And, when I reflect on “skill,”<br />
the very model of the word is exemplified in<br />
our teachers and our students, led by our<br />
very talented seniors. If those three things<br />
are the indicators of achievement, I believe<br />
Montverde Academy’s Fine Arts and the 2020-<br />
21 season is a “thing done successfully,” and<br />
an achievement worth celebrating. I am glad to<br />
have been along for the journey!<br />
APPLAUSE AWARDS<br />
Congratulations to our Theatre Department and students on<br />
an amazingly successful year at the Applause Awards, held<br />
annually by the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.<br />
Winners included:<br />
Outstanding Musical – “Something Rotten”<br />
Outstanding Technical Achievement – “Something Rotten”<br />
Outstanding Director – Roberta Emerson<br />
Outstanding Musical Director – Dean Bell<br />
Outstanding Lighting Design – Kathy Wiebe-LaPlante<br />
Outstanding Choreographer – Christopher Payen<br />
Outstanding Costume Design – Kat Henwood<br />
Outstanding Set Design – Tramaine Berryhill<br />
Outstanding Singer – Lily Downs<br />
Outstanding Singer – Amelie Jaime<br />
Outstanding Actor – Isabella Crider<br />
Outstanding Actor – Aiden Bjortvedt<br />
Outstanding Performer – Sydney Barker*<br />
Outstanding Performer – Aidan Corrie*<br />
Outstanding Performer – Caiti Fallon*<br />
Outstanding Performer – Aidan Fracker*<br />
Outstanding Performer – Logan Lopez*<br />
Outstanding Performer – Anthony Morehead*<br />
*The six Outstanding Performers will be competing on June 5<br />
at the Applause Awards ceremony for the two coveted spots<br />
which advance them to the National Jimmy Awards.<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 49
FINE ARTS<br />
SIGNING DAY<br />
By Andrea Colby, Director of Communications<br />
Ambria Benjamin<br />
Theatre Conservatory<br />
Boston University<br />
Aiden Bjortvedt<br />
Theatre Conservatory<br />
Purchase College (SUNY)<br />
Aidan Corrie<br />
Theatre Conservatory<br />
Arcadia University<br />
Isabella Crider<br />
Theatre Conservatory<br />
Roosevelt University<br />
Caiti Fallon<br />
Theatre Conservatory<br />
University of Minnesota<br />
Aidan Fracker<br />
Theatre Conservatory<br />
Wright State University<br />
Yanbo “Frank” Guo<br />
Music Conservatory<br />
Univ. of Southern California<br />
Lauren Kiernan<br />
Music Conservatory<br />
Florida Southern College<br />
Logan Lopez<br />
Theatre Conservatory<br />
Florida Southern College<br />
Cynthia Lu<br />
Theatre Conservatory<br />
Savannah College of Art & Design<br />
Anthony Morehead<br />
Theatre Conservatory<br />
Point Park University<br />
Jordan Rodriguez<br />
Theatre Conservatory<br />
Univ. of North Carolina<br />
School of the Arts<br />
Conservatory seniors in the Class of <strong>2021</strong> at Montverde<br />
Academy have been accepted into some of the most<br />
prestigious colleges and universities in the United States,<br />
earning more than $315,000 in scholarships to pursue<br />
their passions. A Fine Arts Signing Day was hosted<br />
to honor 12 seniors in the Theatre Conservatory and<br />
Music Conservatory to celebrate their achievements in<br />
advancing their journey in the arts. Students amassed<br />
more than 70 auditions and have chosen to pursue<br />
their passion for music and theatre at some of the most<br />
challenging college and university Arts programs in the<br />
country such as Boston University, Savannah College of<br />
Art & Design, University of Southern California, University<br />
of North Carolina School of the Arts, and more.<br />
“We congratulate these students on their achievements<br />
throughout their journey in our Music and Theatre<br />
Conservatories,” said Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring,<br />
Montverde Academy Head of School. “It is through<br />
hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and perseverance that<br />
these students have accomplished such success. A<br />
determination and love of the arts has led each of them<br />
to pursue their passion for music or theatre into notable<br />
colleges and universities nationwide. We wish them well<br />
in the next stage and hope to see them back on our MVA<br />
stage encouraging young students to pursue the Arts.”<br />
Also in attendance, were a number of notable and highly<br />
respected industry professionals, who have supported the<br />
students and were present to congratulate the students<br />
on their achievements including Mr. Michael James Scott,<br />
award-winning Broadway actor; Mr. Joseph Walsh, Artistic<br />
Director of the Garden Theatre; Ms. Kristen Neander,<br />
District 12 Chair, State Thespian Board Member; and Ms.<br />
Laura Peete, Director of Education, Dr. Phillips Center for<br />
Performing Arts, Applause Awards Director.<br />
“This is an unprecedented moment and I am impressed<br />
and inspired that the Montverde Academy team has made<br />
this Fine Arts Signing Day happen,” said Michael James<br />
Scott in his comments to the students. “The things you<br />
have learned here will resonate for the rest of your life.<br />
Believe in the thing in you that is special, because no<br />
one else has it but you. Never stop learning. Embrace<br />
unapologetic intention.”<br />
50 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
MONTVERDE ACADEMY<br />
<strong>2021</strong>-22 THEATRE SEASON<br />
by Mallory Vance<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong><br />
WHITE<br />
By James Ijames<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong><br />
Presenting Sponsor<br />
for the <strong>2021</strong>-22 Fine Arts Season<br />
WORLD PREMIERE<br />
WINTER <strong>2021</strong><br />
Much Ado<br />
About Nothing<br />
by William Shakespeare<br />
WINTER 2022<br />
For more information on season tickets,<br />
email mary-kay.rath@montverde.org SPRING 2022<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 51
RELATIONS<br />
By Nyoshie Higgins, Alumni Relations and Engagement Officer<br />
As a recent addition to the MVA Alumni and Advancement<br />
team, I am excited to develop programs and generate<br />
content that drives engagement, strengthens alumni<br />
relationships, and creates networking opportunities for<br />
our graduates. My work with the pre-alumni student<br />
organization and the Alumni Board will allow me access to<br />
different perspectives that can better enhance the alumni<br />
experience and relationships with the Academy.<br />
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to the<br />
Academy and deliver results from my diverse background<br />
and wealth of experience in communication. Alumni<br />
can stay informed through email and our social media<br />
channels including Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.<br />
With the start of the <strong>2021</strong>-22 school year already in the<br />
near future, we plan to return to our favored alumni events<br />
like the Alumni Homecoming, while sprinkling in new<br />
events, both on and off campus.<br />
MVA's mission of knowledge, character, and community is<br />
second nature to me as I have volunteered as Parent Co-<br />
Chair for the annual Diversity Fest since 2016 and am a<br />
proud MVA parent of a rising fifth-grade student, Aamirah.<br />
This summer is the perfect time to start planning in-person<br />
and virtual meetings to continue to connect with alumni<br />
around the world. With this in mind, we are looking to<br />
create a space for alumni where they can feel like they are<br />
part of the community even from a distance. If anything,<br />
the pandemic experience has opened our world to virtual<br />
spaces, which in turn, will help us reach distant alumni.<br />
52 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
Dr. Mongeon with Allison Fitzgerald ʼ20<br />
ALLISON FITZGERALD ’20<br />
By Allison Fitzgerald ʼ20<br />
This past fall, I decided it was best for me to take a<br />
semester off from attending school at Berklee College of<br />
Music and wait until I could be in Boston to attend classes,<br />
as classes were only online due to COVID-19. Luckily,<br />
I got the opportunity to work alongside Dr. Jeannine<br />
Mongeon, Instrumental Music Teacher, during her Middle<br />
School orchestra period and Music Conservatory classes.<br />
I helped teach the children to tune their instruments and<br />
provided extra one-on-one help with the students in<br />
class working on technique and reading music. As for the<br />
conservatory classes, I helped fill out the orchestra by<br />
playing their music along with them.<br />
Fall Intern for Dr. Mongeon<br />
to inspire students the way I was inspired, was an offer too<br />
good to pass up, even if it was only once a week.<br />
This opportunity has definitely shown me the great<br />
discipline and hard work it takes to be a teacher, let alone<br />
a music teacher and during a pandemic. By talking to<br />
the Middle School students as new musicians, I gained<br />
new perspectives I never would have been able to get<br />
in college as everyone is already trained. Some of the<br />
techniques we used to teach younger students can<br />
definitely be used for our whole lives and I will be applying<br />
them to my own teaching and learning style as well.<br />
As I couldn’t help in person every day, I also took up the<br />
opportunity to tutor AP Music Theory online for students<br />
who benefitted from extra attention. Dr. Mongeon is an<br />
extremely talented musician and teacher, who is truly a<br />
superhero. She taught all of the orchestra classes and<br />
lessons herself, both online and in person. I was very<br />
blessed to be able to come in once a week and help out in<br />
any way that I could. Not only did I get to help the students<br />
learn, but they taught me how to be a better teacher.<br />
I was a student at Montverde Academy and participated in<br />
the Music Conservatory. If it weren’t for the Conservatory,<br />
specifically Dr. Mongeon, Mr. Claassen, Mr. Connelly, and<br />
Mrs. Mincy, I would not be half the musician and student<br />
I am today. After experiencing the true passion and love<br />
for music within the Conservatory, I decided to take on<br />
the path of being a musician professionally and going to<br />
college for music. Being able to return to the place that<br />
played a significant role in crafting who I am today and try<br />
Something I thought was a learning curve for me<br />
personally was no longer being only the students’ peer,<br />
but the teachers’ peer as well. I could still be friendly<br />
with the students as we could relate to similar things.<br />
They shared with me the struggles they are having with<br />
doing online school and how they felt about missing<br />
opportunities. Being in that middle ground, I was able<br />
to see and hear the struggles of both teaching and<br />
learning during this difficult time. I enjoyed taking part<br />
in discussions about how teachers could better teach<br />
subjects that were harder to learn and providing input on<br />
different ideas.<br />
I think the hardest part about this past fall was the inability<br />
to prepare for live concerts. A really big part of learning<br />
music is the fine-tuning process that occurs to ensure<br />
that a performance is ready. I wish I got to see those kids<br />
perform because they are all so incredibly talented!<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 53
1 2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5 6<br />
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES<br />
1955<br />
COOKIE FALING DAVIS<br />
celebrated her 80th<br />
birthday in <strong>2021</strong>!<br />
1984<br />
(1) High school<br />
sweethearts, ER<br />
RADCLIFFE and AMBER<br />
LEWIS celebrated being<br />
reunited by visiting and<br />
touring our campus.<br />
2009<br />
(2) ZAKIYA NEWTON<br />
graduated from the<br />
Culinary Institute of<br />
America with a Bachelors<br />
in Baking and Pastry Arts<br />
Management in 2012.<br />
Kia worked at several<br />
upscale restaurants in<br />
Miami and mastered her<br />
baking skills. She moved<br />
back to Orlando, married,<br />
has two little boys and<br />
founded Celestial Sweets<br />
by Kia. Her company will<br />
be celebrating its threeyear<br />
anniversary this June.<br />
Congrats!<br />
RUSTAV PAVLEV<br />
graduated from Arizona<br />
State University and<br />
returned to Europe to play<br />
professional basketball for<br />
Russia and Poland. He<br />
married last summer and<br />
now has a four-month-old<br />
baby boy!<br />
2011<br />
(3) MARK OVERDEVEST<br />
and wife Laura gave birth<br />
to their first child Andrew<br />
John Edward Overdevest<br />
on March 14. Congrats!<br />
(4) Congratulations to<br />
EMILIA TAUTIVA on her<br />
recent engagement and<br />
success in the field of<br />
technology.<br />
Congratulations<br />
JENNIFER LEE on your<br />
first year in the Mayo<br />
Clinic Jacksonville<br />
Anesthesiology program!<br />
2012<br />
(5) Congratulations to<br />
LAUREN ROBERTSON<br />
and her husband Travis<br />
Stulz on their marriage.<br />
2013<br />
(6) Congratulations<br />
to KATE (JONES)<br />
CROWELL! She married<br />
Black Crowell on March 28<br />
at The Vineyards in Betty’s<br />
Creek in Sylva, NC.<br />
(7) Congratulations to<br />
KAILIN KESSELRING on<br />
her recent engagement and<br />
celebrating two years as<br />
a business owner with K.<br />
Ellen Boutique<br />
2014<br />
Congratulations to BAILEY<br />
WARD who is now the<br />
Associate Manufacturing<br />
Engineer at QUEST<br />
Global in the Los Angeles<br />
Metropolitan Area.<br />
JULIA BUDDENDORFF<br />
graduated in May from<br />
the University of Florida<br />
College of Medicine and<br />
has moved to Jacksonville<br />
to start a residency in<br />
Emergency Medicine. She<br />
also recently got engaged!<br />
SAMANTHA SIMMONS<br />
is graduating from Stetson<br />
Law School and will begin<br />
her career as a Prosecutor<br />
for the 6th Judicial Circuit in<br />
Pinellas County.<br />
2015<br />
GLORIA KATUKA is<br />
approaching her first year<br />
as a Ph.D. student in the<br />
Department of Computer<br />
& Information Science &<br />
Engineering at University of<br />
Florida. Good luck!<br />
54 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
7 8 9<br />
10 11 12<br />
Congratulations to JAKE<br />
LABRADOR and his<br />
wife McCayla on the<br />
announcement of her<br />
pregnancy!<br />
ANGEL CAMPBELL<br />
graduated from Navy USS<br />
LEYTE GULF. She will be<br />
serving as Quartermaster.<br />
Congratulations FRANK<br />
AGBASIMERE who was<br />
drafted to the Calgary<br />
Stampeders to play<br />
football!<br />
(8) GIULIA BONARA won<br />
our first annual March<br />
Madness NCAA bracket<br />
contest! She recently<br />
completed her Bachelor’s<br />
in Electrical Energy<br />
Engineering with honors at<br />
the University of Bologna<br />
and is currently pursuing<br />
her Master’s Degree in the<br />
same field at the University<br />
of Bologna.<br />
2016<br />
KEVIN MCDONNELL<br />
graduated from Niagara<br />
University in 2020 and is<br />
working in Buffalo, NY for<br />
AmeriCorps in a legal aid<br />
center.<br />
HALLIE PITNER graduated<br />
from Embry-Riddle in<br />
2020 with a finance and<br />
accounting degree and is<br />
currently at University of<br />
Tennessee pursuing a dual<br />
MBA and MSBA (business<br />
analytics).<br />
IRISA ZHOU graduated<br />
from McGill University in<br />
2019 as an Economics<br />
and Math major and is<br />
currently pursuing a Ph.D<br />
at University of Toronto.<br />
(9) Congratulations to<br />
PIA MILAN GREEN on<br />
receiving The Nell Hamilton<br />
Trotter Student Leadership<br />
Award! This award<br />
recognizes an outstanding<br />
commitment to student<br />
involvement and it is the<br />
highest student leadership<br />
award presented by<br />
Georgia State University.<br />
(10) Congratulations to<br />
KARL ANDY BELL. He<br />
made the Olympic roster<br />
(soccer) for his home<br />
country of Haiti.<br />
2017<br />
Congratulations to<br />
FEDERICO BARRIOS<br />
RUBIO. He is a Co-<br />
Founder at Fun4House:<br />
Emotional Learning<br />
Community.<br />
Congratulations to<br />
MACKENZIE NAILOS.<br />
She’s heading to<br />
Vanderbilt Law School<br />
after graduating from the<br />
University of Florida in<br />
April.<br />
(11) JACOB PRICE will<br />
graduate in June with<br />
a USCG National 3rd<br />
Mate Unlimited License<br />
and plans to work in the<br />
maritime industry along<br />
with serving in the US Navy<br />
Reserves.<br />
ISOBEL HAYNES<br />
graduated from Flagler<br />
College in 2020 with BA in<br />
Criminology and is headed<br />
to Penn State to pursue<br />
a Master of Professional<br />
Studies in Homeland<br />
Security.<br />
(12) Congratulations to<br />
HENRIQUE FACUSSE.<br />
He made the Olympic<br />
roster (soccer) for his home<br />
country of Honduras.<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 55
14 15 16<br />
17<br />
18 19<br />
2018<br />
(14) Congratulations to ELLE<br />
NEWTON who graduated Magna<br />
Cum Laude from Florida State<br />
University after three years with<br />
a B.S. in Political Science, a<br />
minor in Communications and a<br />
specialist certification in Emergency<br />
Management and Homeland Security.<br />
She will be attending FAMU College<br />
of Law in Orlando on a Deans<br />
Scholarship.<br />
Congratulations to KAITLYNN<br />
HERNANDEZ who is one of the<br />
founding members of the first<br />
multicultural sorority at Bowie State<br />
University!<br />
(15) Congratulations to BENJI<br />
MICHEL. He made the Olympic roster<br />
(soccer) for the United States.<br />
(16) Congrats to BRUNO PESSOA<br />
of Warner University on being named<br />
to the First Team All-Sun Conference<br />
(tennis). The accolade is given to<br />
only the best six players within the<br />
conference.<br />
56 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong><br />
2019<br />
(17) LOVE-STAR ALEXIS came back<br />
from an injury in spring <strong>2021</strong> and<br />
earned 10 wins in singles and 11 wins<br />
in doubles this season.<br />
(18) CADE CUNNINGHAM will<br />
be entering the NBA draft and is<br />
projected to be a first round draft pick.<br />
Good luck!<br />
MILA KUJALA was featured in a<br />
documentary series produced by<br />
students at Oulu University of Applied<br />
Science. The episode is about<br />
Alopecia and how she has learned<br />
to live without hair and how it has<br />
impacted her life.<br />
Congratulations to SIMA alumni<br />
ADAM KIERNAN, JOAO PEDRO<br />
SOUZA, and GABE SITLER<br />
on winning the NCAA National<br />
Championship with Marshall<br />
University!<br />
2020<br />
Congratulations to MATTHEW<br />
KAREN who was recently awarded<br />
the Richard A. Mateer Award for<br />
Outstanding Contributions from the<br />
University of Richmond! This award<br />
recognizes five students of character,<br />
scholarship, and leadership from<br />
each class.<br />
(19) Congratulations to Music<br />
Conservatory alum ZAYNA<br />
JEBAILEY on her recently released a<br />
new single!<br />
Congratulations to JACK<br />
KAMSICKAS on his new position<br />
as a PGA Intern at one of the<br />
world’s most prestigious golf clubs,<br />
Fishers Island Country Club,<br />
NY! Jack is attending Clemson<br />
University and completing a dual<br />
major to earn a Bachelor of Science<br />
in Business Management and in<br />
Parks, Recreation, and Tourism<br />
Management.
17th Annual Celebrating Education<br />
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!<br />
Thank you sponsors!<br />
The Rainbow Room Sponsors<br />
The Empire Room Sponsors<br />
Advanced Faces<br />
Clermont Radiology<br />
Dr. and Mrs. Kasey C. Kesselring<br />
EA Tours<br />
Gene and Claudio Capuano<br />
Germana Engineering and Associates, LLC<br />
Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa<br />
MMI Dining Systems<br />
Orlando Health - South Lake Hospital<br />
The Showplace Sponsors<br />
Paterson Services, Inc.<br />
Plastic Surgery Central Florida<br />
Prime Plumbing, Inc.<br />
Risse Brothers School Uniforms<br />
Seacoast Bank<br />
The Brown Family<br />
The Johnson Family<br />
NIDY Sports Construction<br />
United Southern Bank<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 57
1<br />
17th Annual Celebrating Education<br />
Fundraising Event<br />
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!<br />
SATURDAY,<br />
APRIL 24, <strong>2021</strong><br />
4<br />
5<br />
7 8<br />
58 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong>
2<br />
3<br />
6<br />
9<br />
1. Breck Advisory<br />
2. The Killian Family<br />
3. Samantha Robinson, Hannah and John Weaver, Yordin Robinson,<br />
Andre Chuck, Nyoshie Higgins, Margaret Price<br />
4. Powell Studio Architecture<br />
5. Shannan Bjortvedt, Kalena Meyers, Anna Bird, Aiden Bjortvedt,<br />
Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring<br />
6. Cynthia and Gary Schindele<br />
7. Cast of “Something Rotten”<br />
8. Dr. Kasey C. and Maureen Kesselring<br />
9. Andrea Colby, Carla Gilbert, Kalena Meyers, Marketa Kozisek,<br />
Charlotte JeBailey, April Sayer, Johanna Martin, Danielle Tanis,<br />
Elske Palmer<br />
10. Michael and Sharon Palanti, Katty and Alex Parent<br />
10<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2021</strong> 59
Montverde Academy<br />
17235 Seventh Street<br />
Montverde, FL 34756<br />
SAVE<br />
THE<br />
DATE<br />
NEW VENUE!<br />
Green Valley Country Club<br />
FRIDAY<br />
OCT. 8, <strong>2021</strong><br />
SPONSORSHIPS<br />
AVAILABLE!<br />
FIND OUT MORE TODAY!<br />
Email kalena.meyers@montverde.org